Total Drama World Tour: Round Trip
by Foreseer44
Summary: For the seventh season of Total Drama, Chris is taking 18 teens from the entire cast on another global adventure for the million dollars. Alliances will form, friendships will blossom, hatred will brew, and a winner will be crowned! This... is Total Drama... World Tour... Round Trip!
1. Mellow Yellowstone: Part I

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. All characters belong to their creators and I'm not making a profit from this story in any way other than personal joy. ;)**

**Warning: This story contains mild cursing, some violence, and a few mature themes. (Also, this isn't in line with my TDROTU canon timeline. So, not a sequel.)**

**~A/N~ I promised another competition story, and BOOM! Here it is out of the blue. Basically, the title and summary say all, but for those of you still left puzzled for some reason, this is a World Tour story (sooooo original, huh?) featuring campers from all three generations of players. Songs aren't likely to appear, seeing as how my song-writing is terrible at every level and should never be seen by the public eye. Ships will be small on scale and few and far between, but the romance will be here in some form. Most plots will focus on alliances and strategies, not character development, though there will be some of that. I wanted to make this story different from other WT stories, but in the end, my ideas weren't fit for such a format, so hopefully a vanilla World Tour will suffice.**

**Anyways, thanks in advance for reviews, favs, and follows, and I hope you'll enjoy this as much as I will. Now, let's get the show started!**

* * *

_Episode 1: Mellow Yellowstone (Part I)_

* * *

Chris McLean sipped coffee from his styrofoam cup as the wind blew his gorgeous hair over his head. Planes of many shapes, sizes, and colors lined the runways as a flock of snow geese honked overhead. Chris turned to the camera and grinned a signature McLean smile, complete with sparkling teeth.

"Welcome back, TD fans! It's been a while, but I'm back with an all new _seventh _season, (or _sixth_ if you're the producers), of your favorite reality program. For six seasons, you've watched over fifty teens, a full grown hag, and a coconut compete in a plethora of daunting challenges, endure the emotional strain of reality television, and use whatever they deem fit to win the grand prize of one... million... _dollars!_"

The camera followed Chris as the host strolled down the asphalt, stopping in front of a parked bus. "But now, we're going back to the classics and throwing eighteen of our most notorious players into a whole new global adventure for the million. There will be pain, there will be gain, and there will be plenty of shame for our players. And speaking of these rejects, let's bring them out!"

The bus doors opened with a hiss and the camera zoomed in on the impending arrivals. "From our original cast, welcome back Courtney, Geoff, and Owen!" The trio stepped off in said order.

Courtney scoffed, turning up her nose as she walked past Chris, her arms crossed and a sneer on her face.

"Yeah, man!" Geoff erupted with hype as he hopped down the stairs. "Great to be back after so long!"

"Great to have you back, man," Chris said, bumping knuckles with the party dude. "And without Bridgette too?"

Geoff let out a sigh. "Yeah, but at least I can focus on the game this time. Trust me, man. I have a plan."

"I can't wait to see it..." Chris rolled his eyes in annoyance and shooed Geoff past the camera.

"_Woohoo!_" came Owen as he stormed off the bus. "So hyped to-" He quickly looked around to see the runway and planes. Less than a second later, he was screaming. "Noooo!" The chubby teen turned around and tried to hide in the bus, but smashed straight into the side of the vehicle.

Chris approached the downed competitor. "Dude, I thought you were over your fear of flying."

Owen turned over and sighed. "Yeah, it's coming back up, like that time I ate thirty baked potatoes and puked on my-"

"Too much info, bro," Chris cringed. He shook himself clean of the disgust and turned to the open doors. "Also from our original cast... Noah, Izzy, and Eva!"

Izzy leapt onto Owen's gut, causing the boy to squawk in pain. "Hey, Izzy fans! Guess who's back!"

Eva stomped off the bus and sighed bitterly. "Don't care..."

Noah snorted as he stepped onto the runway. "Pfft. Let me guess... _You? _Yeah, the suspense is killing me."

The six originals cleared the way as Chris snapped his fingers. "From Revenge of the Island, it's Brick and Jo!"

Both teens marched down the steps, but Jo hit the ground first.

"Ha! Beat ya, _Captain Whizz_!" Jo pumped her fist in victory as Brick crossed his arms, giving her a glare of disdain.

"Hey, I would've made it if you hadn't tripped me in the aisle."

"Yeah, yeah," Jo mocked her comrade as the duo walked by Chris. She kicked the loose rocks along the ground as she went, leaving Brick to salute the host and press on.

"Also playing this season is Lightning!"

Lightning slid to the ground and flexed his muscles. "Oh yeah! Lightning's here to win the cool sha-_million_!" He walked into the crowd and pushed Noah aside to take his place in line. "Move, _nerdette._"

Noah sneered at Lightning and tapped his foot, just imagining him falling from the plane and terminal velocity. Jo shared in the gaze, but couldn't help smirking.

"Scott's also back!"

The dirt farmer emerged from the bus and smelled his pits before sharing a venomous glare with a certain CIT. They looked away from each other as if they were deformed.

"Sup, bro?" Geoff extended his hand for a high five, but Scott shrugged it off.

"I don't hand slap. Plus, I've got bigger fish to fry." He shot another nod at a silent Courtney.

"Oh, uh, sure, man. All's cool," Geoff backed away in embarrassment as Scott stood beside Lightning and Owen.

"And... Dawn and Zoey!"

Both girls stepped out, the former calm and collected, but the latter nervous and twitchy.

"Greetings, friends." Dawn bowed at the other teens. Brick waved politely, but no one else budged.

Dawn's mouth curved in disappointment and she joined the team.

Zoey looked from Owen to Noah to Izzy to Jo to Lightning and to Chris. "Uh, hey, everybody," she said, tucking her arms behind her back and posing adorably, refusing to let the nerves take her.

"Hey! I'm Owen!" the large buffoon smiled through his slight paranoia.

"Oh, I knew that. I was-"

"_Bor_-_ring_!" Chris gagged. "Enough of the awkward intros. Ahem, now it's time to meet our returnees from our last season: Pahkitew Island! Welcome, Rodney and Jasmine!"

The farmboy stepped off smiling and waved to the others. Jasmine followed behind and after a quick "Mornin," she was standing with and towering above the others.

"Sky and the moody party pooper known as Dave!"

Sky stepped onto the runway and waved to the camera, but caught a slim bit of movement behind her. Dave was frowning like never before. Anger and bitterness had been splashed over his contorting face. His hair had grown back, but only by an inch or two.

"So, how'd life as a mauling victim treat you?" Chris winked towards the teenage sociopath.

"Chris..." Sky whined in a panic. "Don't..."

"No. Let him. I want to _hear the details _this time." Dave sneered at Sky and they walked into the growing crowd, standing on opposite ends and refusing to look at each other.

"And last, and only because of fan demand..." Chris paused to sigh. "Max and Scarlett," he finished half-heartedly.

"Evil is back!" Max cackled wickedly, throwing him arms into the air before Scarlett kicked him to the ground, a look of disgust on her face.

"I refuse to comment," she said dryly, readjusting her glasses and stepping over the man-child. When she passed Chris, she rolled her eyes and kept walking.

Chris turned to face the entire cast of eighteen teens. All were eagerly waiting for something to happen, evidenced by the puzzled looks on half of their faces. "Welcome... to season seven!"

Owen whooped, only to be elbowed in the ribs by Scarlett.

"Sounds like someone's excited. Any who, you're probably wondering where we're going. Right?"

"Uh, it's pretty obvious," Rodney chuckled. "I saw season three... or was it four? Five?"

"Sha-_please,_" Lightning snorted in the lovebird's freckled face. "You're as dumb as a bag of pebbles." Noah snorted as well, attracting the anger of the white-haired jock. He flashed a snarl towards the bookworm, who rolled his eyes and ignored the bully.

"Correct you are, Rodney. For those who have no clue why we're at the airport, I think we're about to get our answer." The host pointed to the horizon and the campers' eyes followed like a cats' to a wiggling toy. Everyone gasped.

A massive, black flying mass landed beside the cast, nearly crushing a handful of the hopefuls. The wings cut through the crisp morning air as the engines purred and roared. The jumbo jet squeaked to a stop and the door on its side opened to show Chef Hatchet in his pilot uniform. He dropped a ladder to the group below and the camera panned back to Chris. "Yep! It's World Tour all over again! But what surprises await? Find out, this season, on Total Drama... World Tour... _Round_ _Trip_!"

The camera panned out to show the entire plane, leaving the cast to look like ants.

"I hate it already," Noah deadpanned.

* * *

(Various shots of the plane are shown. Chris is in his hottub, Chef is readying for takeoff, cameras pop out of the walls and floor.)

_Dear Mom and Dad I'm doin' fine,_

(The camera zooms over a cloud and pauses to catch Brick and Jo fighting with dueling sticks on a thin platform above the water. She knocks him off and cheers.)

_You guys are on my mind._

(Scott and Courtney are ziplining in front of a canyon background. Scott falls and flails his arms as Courtney rolls her eyes.)

_You asked me what I wanted to be_

(Scott falls into a mud pen where Owen is playing in the goop with pigs on a farm. Noah is sitting on the railing of the pen, reading his book. He rolls his eyes.)

_And now I think the answer is plain to see,_

(Mud splashes over the screen and is wiped off by a hand. Geoff and Jasmine are eating bugs and cringing. They both puke.)

_I wanna be famous._

(Izzy rides by on a bison, trampling Jasmine and Geoff.)

_I wanna live close to the sun,_

(Lightning and Eva are boxing on a film set. She kicks him in the balls and he falls over, gripping his nards.)

_Go pack your bags, 'cause I've already won,_

(Sky is practicing her gymnastics on a branch in the jungle.)

_Everything to prove, nothing in my way_

(Dave sneers as he watches her. A jaguar pokes its head out of the bushes and startles him into shock.)

_I'll get there one day._

(Dawn cuddles with an exotic bird. Rodney touches it and is attacked by a swarm of them.)

_Cause, I wanna be famous!_

(Zoey is resting peacefully against a giant set of gears. They suddenly move and shake the room, freaking her out.)

_Na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na!_

(A flock of birds is sucked into the plane's engines. The jet cuts a hot air balloon in half and it plummets to the ground. It is then shown flying through a thunder storm.)

_I wanna be, I wanna be, I wanna be famous_

(Max and Scarlett sit at the control panel. Max presses a button and Scarlett is blasted with a cloud of smoke and ash. She sneers at him and the camera fades up.)

_I wanna be, I wanna be, I wanna be famous_

(The cast falls through the air with parachutes and lands in front of the jet as the logo flashes on screen. It flashes to black.)

* * *

Chris led the cast into plane and Chef took off into the cloudy Ontario sky. He stopped them in a room with three tables set up in the center. "This is the mess hall where you'll enjoy or completely despise in-flight meals prepared by our interns. Take the time to chat about guys, girls, and the game."

"So, uh, can we stay here for the whole day?" Owen chuckled in delight.

"No," Chris said dryly, his arms behind his back.

A tear found its way down his quivering cheek and he hugged Noah, crushing the bookworm. "I can't do this!" he whined.

"Get a hold, soldier," Brick said, tapping the fat boy's shoulder. "Is this the attitude of a winner?"

"No," Owen sniffed.

Scarlett raised her hand and Max slapped her leg.

"Sidekick, don't speak before me."

Scarlett took a deep breath and pushed Max to the ground. "Yes, I was just wondering where we will be depositing our thoughts in this death trap."

"First off, the Total Drama Jumbo Jet 2.0 is _not _a death trap. It might be a to-scale reconstruction, but we've taken the time to ensure your safety this season. Not. Hehe!"

"Not funny," Eva groaned, cracking her knuckles.

"Whatever. Oh, and this season, the confessional is still in the lavatory. Fun, right?"

"Still not funny," Eva sneered.

Noah raised a hand. "Uh, yeah. Is there going to be a forced musical number anytime soon, or..."

Chris sighed. "Unfortunately, a past competitor who's name rhymes with _Ella _ruined my love for the voices of miserable teenagers. So, no singing this time unless you _really _want to."

The teen cheered and Chris was left to shake his head.

* * *

**Confessional**

Scarlett paces back and forth in the bathroom. "The only reason Chris was able to purchase the materials necessary to build this machine was because he sued my family for quite a large sum and won. My plan is simple: stab Chris and take control of the plane. Or I could play to win. I'm a fan of the first option, but I do not foresee a second lawsuit in my future, so I suppose I'll have to settle for option two."

(Static)

Eva is sitting in the confessional with her arms crossed. "Y'know how I hated missing out on the first World Tour? Yeah, I should've counted myself lucky."

(Static)

Lightning is flexing his muscles and kissing his biceps. "Now that Lightning's back for his third season, he's got a game plan to take out these losers." He continues to kiss himself.

(Static)

Rodney looks at the camera nervously. "I never thought I'd see Jasmine and Scarlett again, but my demons are right there. I can't break up with Scarlett! She'll be broken... or maybe she'll just stab me in the eye with a butter knife."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Chris and the teens entered first class and everyone's eyes popped with amazement. "This is first class. Winning teams will stay here between challenges and enjoy massages, fine food, and actual seating."

"My kinda place," Dave smiled to himself. "No germs in sight."

* * *

**Confessional**

Dave crosses his arms and leans back. His face is but a sneer. "After Sky left me to die, I jumped right back on this hell just to take her down once and for all. Trust me... she's going down."

(Static)

Sky nervously twiddles her thumbs. "I hope there's nothing bad between me and Dave. I came to win, and boy problems aren't what I need."

**End Confessional**

* * *

The cast entered the economy class and gazed in disappointment at the sets of metal benches, stained by rat droppings. Dave nearly passed out, but was caught by Brick.

"You okay, soldier?"

"Yeah," Dave mumbled. "Just a little... sick." He turned green and nearly puked, but swallowed it down.

Chris extended his arms. "This is economy class. The team that finishes second will sleep here with the occasional rats and roaches. And by occasional, I mean a lot."

"Need someone to take 'em out?" Scott winked. "I used to whack kitchen rats with my pappy before he went to fight in the army."

"You didn't _eat_ them. Right, dirtboy?" Jo asked in disgust.

"Pfft. As if. Do you know how diseased a rat is?"

Courtney looked away from Scott in disdain, but there was something else in her eyes.

* * *

**Confessional**

Courtney sighs. "I was hoping to avoid Scott and Gwen this time, but just my luck."

(Static)

Scott whittles on a piece of wood with a knife. "Courtney thinks I'm a rat, but if anyone's the rat, it's her. She's just lucky I still have a crush on her after that chart stuff. Well, somewhat. She's still going down though."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Chris led the eighteen teens into the cargo hold. "This is where the losing team will sleep. If you thought economy was nasty, then just wait until you spend a night down here."

"What's so bad about it?" Zoey asked the host, a hint of optimism in her voice.

"Oh, just the rats, spiders, and other creatures that may have stowed away on our flights, Ezekiel _not _included... I think."

Zoey's smile faded. "Oh, that _is _bad."

"Indeed," Dawn sighed. "The poor creatures of Earth must be so lonely here. I should help them."

Chris shrugged. "Whatever let's you sleep at night."

* * *

**Confessional**

Dawn has a butterfly on her finger. "Coming back after so long was just to help the animals and neglected auras of the world. The money is secondary, but winning would be amazing."

(Static)

Zoey sighs and looks out the window. "Without Mike, this place just isn't as fun. Even Cam's gone, and Gwen too. Now I'm here with Courtney, Jo, and _Scarlett._ I saw last season, so I know what she's capable of."

**End Confessional**

* * *

The final stop was the elimination area. A set of bleachers was pushed against the back wall. A lectern rested in front of the door where the combatants would eventually drop like rocks.

"Oh, great," Courtney mumbled. "_This _place."

"Campers, this is the Round Trip elimination area," Chris grinned. "You'll vote in the confessional and receive bags of poor quality peanuts if safe. Get the most votes, and you'll be forcibly shoved out the plane to take the D_rop of Shame_. We wanted to hype the danger by neglecting to give you parachutes, but the lawyers said no and we had to keep them on board. Never said they worked though. Hehe."

* * *

**Confessional**

Geoff leans against the door and has a worried look on his face. "Wow. I know it was scary on TV, but in person, the drop sounds terrifying, man."

(Static)

Max scoffs. "Ha! Evil doesn't take drops. It rises to the occasion and crushes its opposition! MHUAHUAHUAHUAHUA!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

The cast gathered in the mess hall and took their seats at the tables. Noah and Owen sat together. Izzy and Eva played rock-paper-scissors to pass the time. Geoff and Zoey had a friendly chat. Scarlett sat alone while Max tried to pester her. Dave and Sky sat at opposite ends of the room, as did Scott and Courtney. Rodney eyed Jasmine, who was talking about nature with Dawn. Jo, Brick, and Lightning were bragging about their athletic capabilities.

"So, where do you think we're going?" Owen asked his buddy, Noah.

"Not a clue. And frankly, I don't care."

"You should care!" A voice erupted next to the duo, scaring Noah and startling Owen. They looked to their right to see Max standing there, arms crossed. "For _evil _has come to claim this seat."

"Go away," Noah deadpanned.

"Evil does not merely go away. It clings to you like a leech and drains your life force for its own benefit."

Eva stomped over and pushed the gremlin away. "Back off, _munchkin_."

"I do not fear you, roid-monkey!" Max laughed wickedly as Eva's eye twitched.

* * *

**Confessional**

Max is grabbing his groin in pain as squeaks escape his mouth.

**End Confessional**

* * *

"Nice hat," Geoff said, walking up to Jasmine.

The Australian took her hat off and chuckled. "Yeah. It's my mum's. Yours isn't too shabby either."

"So, how's it going, dudette?" The party boy took a seat beside her and propped his legs on the table.

"Good, I suppose. I miss Shawn, but I'm here to win. It's better this way."

"I feel ya. Leaving Bridgey-Bear back home was hard, but without her around, I think I have a chance to win this time, y'know."

"Right," she smiled back.

* * *

Sky looked over and saw Lightning looking out the window. She approached him and waved. "Hi. I'm Sky. You're Lightning, right?"

"The one and only," Lightning boasted, puffing his chest.

"Yeah, I was a big fan of you back in Revenge. Well, for the most part. Anyways, I'm an athlete too."

"Really?" Lightning scoffed. "Gymnastics ain't no sport."

Sky gasped. "It is _too_ a sport. I'm training for the Olympics, and gymnastics _is a sport_."

"Whatever, you say, little girl. Just know that the Lightning's goin' long."

"I'll, uh, keep that in mind... I guess." Sky crossed her arms and walked back to her seat, a scowl on her face. Lightning followed and their eyes locked in contempt.

* * *

**Confessional**

Sky sighs and rolls her eyes. "I knew I shouldn't have talked to him."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Dave watched Sky and Lightning argue over sports and crossed his arms, pouting as well.

"Your aura is very dark," Dawn said, walking up to him with her hands over her heart. "Your problem stems from a feeling of betrayal and sacrifice."

"Tell me something I don't know," Dave mumbled.

"Well, you wet the bed at the sight of a cockroach. There's that."

Dave raised an eyebrow and buried his face in his knees.

* * *

**Confessional**

Dave grabs at his hair and panics. "Why are there so many weirdos on this plane!?"

**End Confessional**

* * *

The intercom buzzed and Chef's voice took over. "Attention passengers, prepare for landing in five... four... three... two..."

The plane rattled and the cast were thrown from their seats. Scott and Courtney fell into each other and pushed themselves away. Dave was thrown into the window, leaving a bruise on his cheek. Noah's book was thrown and hit Jasmine in the head. She looked at him in anger.

Brick grabbed onto the table and vibrated with the turbulence. Jo braced her buff arms against the planes thick walls, her teeth clenching.

After a few seconds of utter chaos, the plane finally settled down enough for the dizzy teens to get a footing.

"That wasn't fun," Zoey mumbled, her face turning green.

"No kidding," Izzy cackled. "That was _awesome_!"

"You _enjoyed _that?!" Sky said as she stumbled into the wall.

"Yeah!" Izzy giggled. Her face got dead serious and her eyebrows scrunched. "Let's do it again!"

* * *

The cast dropped out of the plane and landed on a soft field of grass. They stood up and examined their surroundings to see far away mountains over miles of forests and prairies.

"What _is_ this place?" Geoff scratched his head under his hat.

"Yellowstone!" came Chris from above. He slid down the ladder and held his arms out to the sky. "The first national park in America and home to the nation's largest and oldest bison herd, along with a steady population of wolves, moose, and elk."

Dawn wriggled in place, biting her lower lip. "Oh, I've always wanted to come here!"

Chris chuckled an evil laugh. "Oh, trust me. You'll regret it by the end of the day."

"Uh... are we even allowed to be here?" Noah asked suspiciously. "This isn't exactly a recreational zone."

"Who knows?" Chris shrugged. "But first things first, it's time to select our teams, and you'll do so by competing to be team captains in a mini-challenge! The winners get to pick two people to be on their team, while the others will be assigned by moi. Your first challenge: build a fire."

* * *

**Confessional**

Jasmine pumps her fists. "Yes!"

(Static)

Dawn gasps and covers her mouth. "Fire?! In a national forest?!"

(Static)

Eva looks out the window and rolls her eyes. "Yeah, great idea, Chris. Hopefully there's, like, a lifting competition today, because this blows so far. I came back to prove my worth, not make fire with sticks."

**End Confessional**

* * *

"Like last time, there will be three teams, each with six players. The first three of you to show me your fire win the choice of two teammates as well as immunity if you end up the elimination area tonight, and someone _will _go home tonight. Ready... Set... Go!"

Jasmine, Brick, Jo, Sky, Lightning, Courtney, Izzy, Eva, Scott, and Rodney ran into the field ahead of the others. Noah, Dave, Dawn, Scarlett, Max, Geoff, Owen, and Zoey stayed close to the plane.

* * *

Jasmine and Jo scanned the field for anything that might help in the challenge. The taller girl looked down at Jo and greeted her with a "Hey."

Jo looked up and jumped. "Whoa! You're taller than I thought."

"Intimidated?" she teased the jockette.

"Not a bit," Jo grinned maliciously. "Just know that I'm winning this challenge, no matter how big you are."

"Jealous, huh?"

"Pfft. No. I wouldn't be caught _dead _in _that _outfit, _Australiana Jones_."

Jasmine growled as Jo dashed off into a patch of bushes. "She's a problem," she said in her thick Australian accent.

* * *

Sky was gathering a bundle of sticks in her arms and placed a few on the ground under some dead grass. She took another stick and a piece of string from her pocket and began to drill into one of the small logs.

Dave walked by and crossed his arms. "Need help? Oh, how about you get your _boyfriend _to help you?" Sky cringed, but thankfully Dave passed by as soon as he had arrived. But he wasn't done. The nearly bald young man walked by again. "_Boyfriend_..." he whispered in disgust.

Sky stood up and snapped at her former flame, shoving her finger into his chest. "Listen! What's done is done! You didn't want to hear the _but_, and you got what you deserved. Now go away and leave me _alone_!"

"Oh, and you're innocent?!" Dave hissed as she slowly stepped back. "You lied to me for a week and led me on. I thought you cared, but you just used me to get the money, which you didn't even win!"

"Things went wrong, Dave! They just do, and you have to get that!"

Noah sat at the base of nearby tree, listening to the conversation. He threw his head up from his book and rolled his eyes. "You're _both _guilty! Now shut up so I can read in _quiet_!"

Dave and Sky turned to Noah and back to each other, giving glares that read "This isn't over by a long shot."

* * *

Scarlett removed her glasses and focused the beam of light on a patch of dead grass. Unfortunately, a cloud rolled over the sun and her chances were crushed. She smashed her fist into the ground as she watched a slight hint of smoke disappear from the pile. The psycho put the glasses back on her petite face and she looked for alternatives.

Nearby, Rodney was ferociously rubbing two sticks together. She slipped up and gave himself a nasty splinter. "Curse you, meat hands!" he bellowed.

Out of nowhere, Jasmine cheered "I got it!" All eyes were drawn to the Australian as she stood over a fire made from bison dung and flint.

Chris stood up and exclaimed the announcement. "And Jasmine wins the first spot as team captain! There are still two more spots left, so don't give up!"

* * *

**Confessional**

Jasmine crosses her arms and snorts with laughter. "This is going great. Shawn, if you're watching this, I'm winning this for us."

(Static)

Courtney slaps her forehead. "Great. She's impossible to be beat. Looks like someone needs to take her out _first_."

(Static)

Scarlett taps her chin. "Bison dung? It makes sense..."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Max was strolling through the woods as the others hurried to make fire, or in Noah's case lazed around under a tree. The evil wannabe turned over rocks and logs, looking for something.

"Curses!" he exclaimed, smacking his fists on a nearby tree. "How hard could it be to find an evil creature?!"

* * *

**Confessional**

"I've been looking for a new minion," Max says. "Now that Scarlett is useless, I need something so dangerous that the others will wee themselves out of fear!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Max heard a whimpering coming from behind a bush and peaked over the leaves. His eyes swelled with tears and his mouth formed an adorable smile. "Why, aren't you the cutest! I think I know exactly where you need to be... In my army of evil!"

* * *

Courtney smashed the rocks into each other again and again, and smoke finally caught in the dead grass. She knelt down and blew a gentle breath onto the embers until a large fire erupted, filling her with excitement. "Done!" she shouted, waving her arms to Chris.

The host picked up his binoculars and spotted her fire. "And Courtney wins the second spot! Only one left!"

Geoff heard the warning and desperately tried to get something to work, but no matter how hard he rubbed his sticks, nothing was working. Scott was trying the same technique and gave up soon after.

Dave, Noah, and Owen weren't even trying. The latter was even eating wild berries from the bushes while the former two were sitting alone.

Dawn was busy tending to a withered plant and didn't even care about the challenge.

Zoey and Izzy, along with Eva, were scouring for supplies without any luck.

Sky had all but surrendered at that point. She fell back and rubbed her eyes with her dirty hands.

Jo stood up and grabbed at her short hair. "No way! It's only been five minutes!"

"Yeah, and you're losing," Lightning gloated from a safe distance. "Sha-bam!"

Jo picked up a rock and threw it at him like a cannonball. He dodged with a quick dive and it hit Brick in the gut, causing the cadet to crumble to the soil like a lawn chair folding in half.

Suddenly, an airhorn pierced the tension. "And that's the end! We have our final winner!" Chris clapped to bring the other campers back to the plane where Jasmine, Courtney, and Scarlett were standing victorious over the rest.

* * *

**Confessional**

Scarlett smirks. "The dung of herbivores is quite flammable. All it took was a direct beam of sunlight refracted through my convex lenses and the pile was burning. I thought it was common knowledge."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Chris gathered the campers around the three winners, but couldn't find Max. "So... where's the annoying, pale kid?"

"Here, sir!" came a voice. Max marched up to the group, but there was something on his chest. Tied to him like a baby in a backpack was a wolf pup with adorably large eyes and tiny paws. It licked Max's face and he laughed. "Behold! My new minion. I named him Sir Licksalot."

The other campers gasped and took a few steps back.

Chris raised his brow. "Dude, I'm pretty sure that's not legal, but oh well."

"But what if the pack comes to find it and tries to kill us?" Jasmine scolded the man-child. "You put him back right now, mister!"

"No!" Max held the puppy close to his chest and kissed its muzzle. "He's my minion, and my evil minion he will stay."

Jasmine stepped away. "Sure, you... do that."

Brick tried to pet the pup and was swatted away by the malevolent munchkin. "No! Back, I say!"

Chris cleared his throat and turned to the camera. "Ahem... Three teams to be picked! One lost wolf pup! Eighteen teens to shove out a plane! And one million dollars! Who will win immunity? Who won't? And who will be the first victim of the deadly Drop of Shame? Tune in next time for all the answers, here, on Total Drama... World Tour... _Round Trip_!"

* * *

**~A/N~ Yep. That's it. Just another World Tour. Hopefully I've peaked your interests so far, because this is going to be a long ride. Also, unlike in ROTU, all episodes will be one chapter in length, not two. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next time. Foreseer... out!**

**(PS: Go vote on the poll in my profile for five players you think should win!)**


	2. Mellow Yellowstone: Part II

**~A/N~ Thanks to everyone who voted on the poll, faved, followed, or reviewed. You guys are awesome, so I'll be doing replies in every chapter. But first, allow me to say that any idea of romance you may have is not likely of being included. On actual Survivor, shipping normally doesn't happen, and it won't happen here. There will be relationship drama, but don't expect a main couple to be formed. That is all. Enjoy!**

* * *

_Episode 2: Mellow Yellowstone: Part II_

* * *

"Last time on Total Drama World Tour: Round Trip, we met our eighteen teenagers for a _second _trip around the globe. There were freaks (Dave), geeks (Scarlett), egos (Lightning), and one dashing host: me. On our newly rebuilt TD Jumbo Jet, our players were introduced to the luxurious first class, as well as it's crappy alternatives. We found out what happens when the plane lands in a skull bashing kind of way as we made our first stop: Yellowstone National Park. Here, the contestants fiercely tried to win the spots for team captain by starting fires from scratch, and Jasmine, Courtney, and Scarlett won big. Who will they pick for their teams? Who will push the most buttons? Who will take the dreaded Drop of Shame?! Find out right now, on Total Drama... World's Tour... Round Trip!"

(The theme song plays)

* * *

Chris stood beside Scarlett, Courtney, and Jasmine. The other fifteen campers stood in front of them, eagerly waiting to begin the picking of the teams.

Chris cleared his throat and turned to the three victors. "Before we begin, did everyone put out their fires? That's kind of a hazard this time of year."

No one moved. Suddenly, Courtney dashed past the others and Chris let out a sigh. "Of course."

* * *

Once the CIT had returned to the group, Chris tapped Jasmine on the arm. "Alright, Jasmine. Pick _one _person to be on your team. And make it count, because this person will stay with you for the rest of the pre-merge."

Jasmine chuckled. "You make it sound like a hard choice. I choose Sky."

Jasmine pointed at the athlete and she cheered, throwing her toned arms to the blue sky. "Yes!" She passed Dave as she made her way to Jasmine's side. A sneer of pure hatred flashed on his face for less than a second.

Chris moved to Courtney. "Alright, Little Miss Lawsuit. Who's it gonna be?"

Courtney scanned the crowd. Noah was reading his book, completely bored out of his mind. Geoff was picking wax from his ear. Owen was trying to lick his elbow. Dave was pouting. Scott was staring with his brow tensed. Dawn was playing with a blue butterfly. Inside, Courtney groaned.

* * *

**Confessional**

Courtney sighs and slaps her forehead, leaving a red mark. "I don't know who to pick. They're _all _terrible!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Courtney let out a final breath. "I guess... Rodney, is it?" She pointed to the gigantic farmboy and he gasped, his eyes shimmering with adoration.

* * *

**Confessional**

Rodney grasps at his chest. "She wanted me on her team! It must be a sign... of true love!"

(Static)

Courtney leans against the window. "Who was I supposed to pick? Everyone else was lazy, annoying, or weak. Rodney only fit _one _of those categories."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Chris moved to Scarlett. "And you?"

"Noah," she sighed.

Noah raised his nose from the page and looked confused. "Really? I'm first pick?"

"One can never have enough brainpower," Scarlett smiled.

Noah shrugged and joined his team captain.

Chris returned to Jasmine. "Alright. Last pick. Who's it gonna be?"

Jasmine scanned the group and tapped her chin. "I'll go with... Brick."

Brick smiled and Jo gasped.

* * *

**Confessional**

Jo clenches her fists and slams them into the tabletop in front of her. "Since when is Lieutenant Leaky more valuable than me? I call bull!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Chris moved on to Courtney, who was already about to pick. "Eva."

Eva stomped to her side and joined a love-struck Rodney. Their eyes met and Eva gave him an odd look.

"And Scarlett?"

The psychopath tapped her fingers together, creating a clicking noise with her long, talon-like nails. She knelt to Noah's height and whispered into his ear. "Noah, who do you insist upon adding to our team? Also, Max is out of the equation."

Noah rolled his eyes and went back to his book. "Izzy, I guess."

"Izzy," Scarlett politely smiled, flicking her finger at the ginger-haired teen.

Izzy charged, screaming like Tarzan, right into Noah and taking him to the ground. He squealed through the pain as Scarlett sighed.

* * *

**Confessional**

Scarlett sighs. "The lack of sense of this team is beginning to become apparent."

(Static)

Izzy plays with her hair and wobbled to and fro on the stool. "Scarlett is so weird. Not that that's a bad thing, because weirdosity is awesome!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Chris slowly clapped. "Good choices guys, uh, gals. Now, the remaining players will be assigned by _moi."_

A sea of groans erupted from the campers, and even the captains.

"Alright. Jo, Lightning, and Geoff. You're team Jasmine. Scott, Zoey, and Dave, you're on team Courtney. Lastly, Owen, Dawn, and Max, to team Scarlett you go."

Scarlett and Courtney let out audible growls while Jasmine just shrugged.

* * *

**Confessional**

Jasmine is leaning forward onto the countertop. "Having Geoff and so many strong players on the team is great and all, but Jo's gonna be a _big _issue if her attitude gets in the way."

(Static)

Scarlett huffs and puffs as her face turns red. "So... close!"

(Static)

Courtney sighs. "Of course I get Scott and Zoey! Figured Chris would sabotage me again!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

The teams formed liked puzzles, slowly coming together until six groups stood side by side. Dave and Scott sneered at Sky and Courtney respectively. Scarlett ignored Max as he played with the wolf pup, her lips quivering furiously. Jo and Brick high-fived as Lightning tried to get in on the action and was shot down the former. Noah and Owen smiled upon meeting again until Izzy budged in between them. Rodney continued to stare dreamily at a disturbed Courtney as Eva rolled her eyes at the display. Dawn stood still, examining the bitterly that landed on Scarlett's back. Geoff and Jasmine shot each other winks. Zoey just stood there with her hand casually rubbing her upper arm and shoulder.

"Alright," Chris clapped once. "Like in our first World Tour, I'll give you a few seconds to come up with some awesome team names..."

Jasmine huddled her team together. "Aight, who's got a good name? No wrong answers here."

Lightning immediately scoffed. "Pfft. Team _Lightning_."

"No," Jo deadpanned. "We need a name that screams 'We'll freakin' wreck you!' to the others. Something that sounds powerful..."

Brick gasped. "Oh, I got one. How's _Team Horsepower?_"

"Simple, but effective at conveying our overall strength. Good one, Brick," Jasmine patted the clumsy cadet on the shoulder. She raised her head to Chris. "We're Team Horsepower!"

(A blue logo flies on screen. In the center is a flexing, buff arm.)

"Wicked name, guys," Chris said. "Courtney?"

Courtney and her team were having difficulties. Scott and Dave weren't cooperating, Rodney was a hot mess, Zoey was still thinking, and Eva's suggestions were too violent to be shown on Canadian television. "Um, well, we haven't had any good ideas."

"Not my problem," Chris yawned.

Suddenly, Dave maniacally laughed, rubbing his hands together like a mad genius. "I got it! We'll be Team _Vengeance_!"

(A red logo flies on screen. It is of the letter V with a diagonal slash through it.)

Courtney shrugged. "Fine by me."

Zoey cautiously spoke up. "Guys, isn't that a bit... random? Who's here for revenge anyways?"

Dave quickly raised his hand, as did Scott.

"Point taken, I guess," Zoey sighed.

* * *

**Confessional**

Zoey pouts. "I hate when things get overly dramatic on this show. Being on a team literally named for that specific purpose isn't helping."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Chris nodded. "Team Vengeance it is. And lastly, we have Scarlett? What's your name?"

Scarlett cleared her throat. "We've talked it over, and our team name will be-"

"_Team EVIL!" _Max burst out of the crowd, laughing like a rabid hyena. Scarlett growled and shoved him to the ground.

"Nice. Team Evil it is," Chris shot a sly wink at Scarlett.

(A purple logo with Max's hideous face flies on screen.)

"But we're not evil," Owen whimpered. "Or, at least me and Izzy and Noah aren't."

Max brought himself to his feet and dusted himself clean, making sure to check on his wolf pup. "Scarlett! You almost hurt Sir Licksalot! Apologize at once!"

"No!" Scarlett hissed, her eyes glowing with hatred. "Now take back our name!"

Max shook his head. "No! Team Evil shall stay, for it is a most dastardly name that evokes fear within the hearts of men everywhere. Muahahahahahahah-"

Scarlett shoved him to the dirt again and crossed her arms. "Fine. We're Team Evil... against our will, I might add."

_"_Great," Chris said, wiping sweat from his cheek. "So, teams. Ready to get started on your first challenge?"

* * *

**Confessional**

Noah groans and slaps himself. "Team _Evil_? _Team Evil?!_ Well, it's not as bad as Team Chris Is Really Really Really Really Hot, but..."

(Static)

Max pets Sir Licksalot as he stares into the camera. "Evil will have its day. Mark my words." The wolf bites his hand and he screams. "AHHHHHH-"

**End Confessional**

* * *

As the three teams followed Chris, the campers started to interact a bit more.

Dawn approached Noah and smiled. "Your aura is exceptionally orange-ish blue."

Noah cringed and turned to face the moonchild. "Oh, it's you. Dawn?"

"Correct," she giggled. "You're really not enjoying this experience, are you?"

"Well, I got forced to be here by my parents to get out and do something again, so no."

"That's too bad. I think you'd be a great player if you were less lazy and more focused on relationships."

"Yeah, right."

* * *

On Team Vengeance, Dave was turning his head to look at Sky. Anger filled his heart every time, and Courtney caught wind of it.

"Just ignore her," whispered the brat. "She's not even on your team anymore."

"Yeah, but she's _here_."

"And?"

"And I need to get her shoved out the plane. Maybe without a chute too."

Courtney raised a brow in surprise. "Wow. That's, uh, nice." She turned her head forward again to see Rodney standing in her way.

"I heart strong... bison dung and fire... light soul..." He finished sputtering his gibberish and ran to the back of the group, holding his hair in his tight grip. Courtney was left in shock.

* * *

**Confessional**

Rodney is hyperventilating. "How do I break up with, uh, oh God! I can't remember who I'm going out with. Was it Jasmine? Or Scarlett? Think, brain. _Think_!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Jasmine was leading her pack with Jo right behind her, a smirk on her face. Out of nowhere, Lightning and Geoff start talking, causing her to cringe.

"S'up, bro?" Geoff extends his open palm for a high-five.

"Just waiting to kick major butt in today's challenges," Lightning snorted, slapping Geoff's hand. "Lightning's been preparin' for this season ever since All-Stars. Worst team ever, voting off their saving grace."

"I hear that, man," Geoff said apologetically, causing Jo to nearly barf at the friendship forming in front of her eyes.

* * *

**Confessional**

Geoff sighs happily. "Lightning may have a big ego, but he'd be wicked at a party, man. Wonder if he'd be up for it."

(Static)

Jo rolls her eyes and leans back in the bathroom. "I can't believe Jockstrap and Party Boy are already forming an alliance. It's been ten minutes. Looks like I'll need an ally too, but who to choose?"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Jasmine noticed a sad expression on Sky's face and moved back in the line to talk to her.

"What's got you blue?" she asked like a concerned mother to her child.

"Dave's been giving me nasty looks all day," Sky sighed. "Should I ignore him?"

"Definitely," Jasmine nodded sternly. "You know how crazy that guy is. Crazier than a rabid wombat if I do say so myself. Just turn your cheek and pretend he doesn't exist."

"Sure thing," Sky said with uncertainty, taking a glimpse at her angry ex.

Zoey and Eva were at the back of their team and kept their mouths shut. The redhead coughed to get her attention.

"What?" Eva grunted.

"Wanna talk? You look lonely."

"Uh, no," Eva said, keeping her arms crossed and her eyes locked straight ahead.

"It's okay to talk. We're on the same time after all."

"Not a word, _flower-head_."

Zoey sighed and looked at the ground. "Okay then."

* * *

**Confessional**

Eva raises her brow. "I've been trying some new anger management techniques. So far, the results have been good. I just don't talk to anyone and block out the annoying idiots. Works like a charm." Her eye begins to twitch.

**End Confessional**

* * *

Chris stopped the teens in front of a large pen with tall fencing stretched for hundreds of yards. On the far end of the pen were three heavy bison grazing on dying grass. Behind them was a forest, and beyond, a mountain range.

"Teams, welcome to your first challenge of Total Drama World Tour: Round Trip. Today's challenge... is buffalo wrangling. Called bison by many, these large land mammals are related to cows and can weigh up to a ton. The bulls are armed with deadly horns and a temper to match, hehe. Sound familiar, Eva?"

Eva inhaled a deep breath through her nose and let out it just as fast.

"Alright," Chris smirked. "The first challenge is to get a bison back out of the pen using your wits, plus whatever you find laying around. First team to complete it wins immunity and a night in first class. The other two teams will duke it out in a second challenge to determine who gets economy class and who sends a player falling to the ground."

"Sounds dangerous," Zoey said, her eyes narrowing as she nibbled at her lip.

"Wrong. It's _really _dangerous. Or, that's what I would say if you were wrangling bulls. Actually, the bison you're dealing with are lazy cows, so less dangerous, but still really heavy. Everyone ready? Then... Go!"

The teens took off into the pen as Chris honked his airhorn. In the front of the pack was Team Horsepower, followed closely by Team Vengeance, and in last was the physically unfit Team Evil.

Team Horsepower reached their bison first. Lightning, Brick, Jo, Sky, and Geoff immediately tried pushing the heavy, furry titan from behind to no success.

Jasmine clapped to bring their attention. "Hey! That won't work! Here's the plan: everyone go find a long piece of rope. Hurry! We can't lose our lead."

"On it, sir!" Brick saluted and ran off with Jo right behind him.

Lightning shrugged and went on his own run away from Sky and Geoff. Jasmine stayed to watch the bison with a glimmer of ingenuity in her hazel eyes.

* * *

When Team Vengeance arrived at their bison's location, Courtney gasped at its sheer size. The animal chewed its mouthful of grass as it wagged it's tail to brush off the flies and other pests.

"It's _huge_," Courtney sighed. "We'll never get this moving! Anyone got a plan?"

"I know," Scott winked. "We'll poke it with a stick." The dirt farmer grabbed a dead branch and tapped bison in the back leg. The stick broke and Scott flung the held piece away.

"Or a _bigger _stick!" Rodney cheered, grabbing a log from the ground and heaving it over his shoulder.

Scott confronted Rodney with a finger raised. "Hold it, man! That was my idea. Stop ripping me off."

"I'm the one ripping off?" Rodney growled. "You're just trying to look good for Courtney!"

"You're what?!" Courtney hissed.

"Nothing," Rodney said, dropping the log on Scott's foot, causing him to yelp in pain.

* * *

**Confessional**

Scott scoffs. "Rodney. What a wannabe. There's only room for one socially awkward farmer with a thing for Courtney around here, and that's _me_!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Izzy jumped atop Team Evil's buffalo and started pulling at its thick mane. "Guys! Look at me! I'm a bison rider! Giddy-up, Buffy!"

Noah rolled his eyes at the display and sat down to read his book. Scarlett walked up and kicked the paperback out of his hands.

"Get up," she said. "I picked you to contribute your brainpower to my team, not to waste away with a book on your hands."

"Scarlett, if I had an idea, I'd give it to you. Ask the others. Maybe Owen, because he and the bison have four stomachs each. I don't know, just not me."

"Noah, look at that team."

The bookworm peered over and saw Izzy licking the animal's horn. Dawn was focusing into its eyes. Owen was picking his belly button. Max was cuddling his wolf. Noah sighed. "Point taken, but how do you even move an animal that big?"

"I was thinking of baiting it with natural fruits or vegetables."

"Go ahead. I'll be here all day."

Scarlett sneered and walked off, leaving Noah to wipe the dust from the pages and continue reading.

* * *

Jo and Brick walked through the field together as they looked for rope along the fence line. Brick became nervous about Jo's presence.

"Uh, why are you following me?" the cadet asked. "Wouldn't it be better to split up and cover more ground?"

"Yeah, but we need to talk."

"About what?"

Jo looked around to make sure no one was around. "An alliance. You in?"

Brick tapped his chin. "Maybe. Who else in in it?"

"Just us. But think. Who's the strongest person on the team?"

"Jasmine," Brick smiled.

"No," Jo said, teasing him a bit.

"Uh... Lightning?"

"Colder... like, Antarctica colder."

"Sky?"

"_Me_!" Jo gasped for breath out of aggravation. "And you're not far behind. Wouldn't it be sweet to blindside those other suckers and make it to the final two together?"

"Sure, but that's for the merge only. We're all a team right now, and teamwork is key."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, but just give it a thought. Okay?"

Brick saluted. "Right."

* * *

**Confessional**

Brick smirks. "Jo's already planning ahead, and I like it. But I can't desert the team this early. I'll just lead her on for now. What could go wrong?"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Dave sat on the ground, plucking petals from a wildflower. He sighed as Courtney stomped up behind him and coughed loudly.

"Yes?" Dave mumbled.

"Dave, get up and help!" Courtney barked, yanking him to his feet. "We're losing."

"I know," Dave grinned. "How about you tell the bison you'll go out with it, then dump it on national tv, and then kiss it, and then tell it you have a _boyfriend_!" Dave said the last word as if it was toxic and Courtney dropped him.

"Forget it! Looks like I'm doing it myself..."

* * *

Scarlett walked back to her team of oddballs with a bunch of wild carrots in hand. "Look! I found our ticket to first class."

Noah looked up and laughed, as did Izzy and Owen.

"It's not a joke," the brainiac groaned. "We'll tie these to a branch and lead the bison to the gates. Owen, hold these while I find the other supplies. And _don't eat them!_" She handed the veggies to the big guy and jogged off, leaving Owen to slyly glance at the carrots in his hands.

* * *

Brick, Jo, Sky, and Lightning returned to Jasmine with their ropes while Geoff was empty handed. "Good work, Team Horsepower! Here's the gist of what I was thinking. We can tie these ropes to the neck and legs. Combined, our strength might just be enough to pull this big guy to the finish line."

"Sha-dang," Lightning chuckled. "You really know how to think ahead, Amazon chick."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Jasmine said in distaste. "Alright, everyone! Get to tying!"

* * *

Courtney listened to Scott and Rodney argue from a ways away and finally lost her mind. She collapsed to the ground and covered her face as she let out the angriest scream of her life.

"Courtney?" Zoey asked with concern. "Are you okay?"

The team captain looked up with panic-crazed eyes. "What do you think?! Rodney and Scott are total messes, Dave is too peeved, Eva is... nowhere to be seen, and you're just _you_."

"Then take initiative," Zoey said, casting a warm smile on Courtney. "Make yourself look like the best team captain in TD history."

"But how?"

"I think you'll figure it out," Zoey shrugged. "I'm off to... do what?"

"Oh," Courtney snapped into reality. "Uh, just go find the others. We've got a challenge to win!"

* * *

**Confessional**

Courtney smirks. "Zoey's a great motivational speaker, but she's also a threat. That means she's got to go _now_."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Izzy and Eva were walking off along the fence line when Zoey found them. Eva jumped in surprise and sighed.

"What were you two doing?" the sue asked, puzzled.

"Nothing," Eva grunted. "Now what is it?"

"Courtney wants you back at the buffalo."

"Tell her I'm busy," Eva said, pushing herself into Zoey's face. "And, uh, I'll be there in five."

* * *

Jasmine tied the last rope to the bison's head and wiped her hands clean of dirt. "Right! Time to win this! Jo, Brick, get the back legs. Lightning, help me with the head. Geoff and Sky, each of you take a front leg. Let's move!"

Each member of Team Horsepower took their stances and prepared to pull with all their might. The bison snorted once and shook its giant head, scattering dust in the air.

"Pull!" Jasmine cheered.

* * *

Scarlett returned to her team with a long, durable branch and some rope. "Alright," she said to Owen. "Hand them over."

Owen let out a burp. "Sorry. I was trying to diet," he said shyly, rubbing his neck from behind. "But look at the bright side! We're friends now. Right, Scarlett? Scarlett?"

* * *

**Confessional**

Owen thinks to himself. "Why do I get the feeling that Scarlett hates me? Oh, I'm sure it'll pass!"

(Static)

Scarlett stares into the camera with an evil glare. "He must suffer."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Meanwhile, Team Horsepower was pulling to no avail. The beast had rooted itself into the ground by its hooves and wasn't giving an inch to the team of six.

"Pull harder!" Jasmine barked. "Pull!... Pull!... Pull!"

Lightning dropped his part of the rope and scoffed. "Stupidest plan ever! Leave this sha-business to the _Lightning_. He's got a plan."

Geoff dropped his rope and stopped Lightning in his tracks as he walked to the backside of the bison. "Whoa, bro. What ya got in mind?"

"Only a foolproof plan to guarantee our victory," the mega jock snorted arrogantly, picking up a stick. "Just learn and watch, fools."

Jasmine growled and dropped her rope as well.

* * *

**Confessional**

Jasmine pounds her fist on the wall. "That Lightning's annoying as a pack of yowling dingos. I'm the team captain, not him!"

(Static)

Lightning flexes his muscles. "I've always star player on my ball team, and Jasmine ain't got sha-nothin' on my seven cups, thirty ribbons, and signed ball collection. This... is what a winner looks like!" He shows off more muscles.

**End Confessional**

* * *

Jasmine grabbed the stick from Lightning. "Give it. No more games from you."

"Sha-please," he sneered, rolling his eyes to the top corner of his whites. "Did you ever learn about taking what ain't yours?" He swiped the stick from Jasmine, lifted the animal's tail, and smacked the you know what of their bison. The beast jumped in shock and bellowed before racing off down the pen with the jock screaming, holding on to the tail for dear life.

* * *

Scarlett raised the new bunch of carrots to her team. "It took... twenty minutes to find these. That was twenty minutes wasted. Owen, be ashamed."

Suddenly, the bison started trotting off and Owen giggled. "Hey! She's moving. Cool."

Before Team Evil knew it, the ground started to shake and the mad bison charged by with the team barely dodging its massive head.

Dawn gasped. "Is that... Lightning?"

"Indeed," Max said in awe. "He's a buffalo jockey! That was my idea!"

Lightning screamed his lungs to a crisp as the beast charged out of the gates and past a smiling Chris. The jock fell off and faceplanted by the host's feet.

"And Team Horsepower wins the first challenge!"

Jasmine and Jo were left with their jaws to the ground. Brick, Sky, and Geoff were standing with their eyes wide.

Somewhere farther down the tract of land, Courtney could be heard screaming like a madwoman.

* * *

**Confessional**

Sky cringes. "Sure, it was gross and probably classifies as animal cruelty, but at least we won, right?"

(Static)

Geoff swings his hat around on his finger. "Yeah, he'd be _amazing _at a party!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Team Horsepower met up and pulled Lightning to his feet. The jock spit out a mouthful of soil and cheered, pumping his fist in the air. "Sha-score!"

The other teams arrived back at the starting line with mixed expressions. Some were just accepting their loss, while others frowned, pouting, boiled with anger, or just plain raged.

"Team HP," Chris said to the victors. "Congrats! You've won immunity and a spot in first class for the night." The team cheered and Chris turned to Team Evil and Team Vengeance. "Guys, you're on the bottom. However, only one team will give someone the boot tonight. This will be settled in a tiebreaker challenge. Follow me, if you will..."

* * *

Owen drooped as he dragged his feet along the ground. Noah tried to cheer him up, but every intense, spiteful stare from Scarlett took him down even further. Even Izzy couldn't lighten the mood with some random humor. Behind them, Max was fending off Dawn from playing with his kidnapped pup.

Courtney walked ahead of the other members of Team Vengeance, only turning to sneer at Scott and Rodney. Eva remained silent, refusing to involve herself again. Zoey comforted Dave, much to his annoyance. The unstable teen continued to shoot looks of disgust at Sky and the other winners, but mostly Sky.

Chris stopped once more at a wide, open expanse of field and rocky ground. Two large wooden bowls rested on plates. Behind each plate was a post of about six feet in height. In front, two wooden barrels with handles on the top rim.

"Contestants, this is the final challenge: a geyser race! If you thought bison wrangling was a pain in the butt-"

"Ha!" came Lightning.

"-then you haven't seen anything yet. To win, you'll need to carry these heavy barrels into the field and collect water from the many geysers of Yellowstone. Bring the water back to your containers until you've filled it up enough to activate a pressure plate under the bowl and raise a flag. Winners get economy class, losers get the cargo hold and send someone out the plane at elimination. If no one has any questions, then let's get started..."

Scarlett huddled her team together and began to speak. "Okay. We don't know when the geysers will blow, but I say we stay by one until it does. Running around is a terrible plan, and I refuse to adopt it. Any thoughts?"

"Yes," Max said matter-of-factly. "What do I do with Sir Licksalot? The hot water might be dangerous to his cuteness."

"Deal with it," Scarlett growled. "We're not losing this challenge because of your flea-ridden pest of a pet!"

Max hissed like a cat and clutched the wolf in his arms.

Courtney and her team grabbed their barrel and she gave the others an assuring nod of hope. "We can do this," she said proudly. "We can do this."

Rodney cautiously raised his hand. "But I have to pee."

"Hold it, lover boy!" the CIT snapped, her eyes bulging out of her head.

* * *

**Confessional**

Rodney blushes and smiles. "Yeah, we're meant to be together for sure."

(Static)

Courtney groans and tugs at her hair. "If I have to spend a night in the cargo hold with these peons, I'm going to scream," she says through grit teeth.

**End Confessional**

* * *

Chris raised his horn and blared it loudly "And... Go!"

Both teams took off into the field as Team HP watched from the sidelines. It wasn't long before the more powerful members of each team began to drag the others along, namely Rodney, Eva, and Izzy.

Team Evil stopped beside a steaming hole in the ground and waited for the water to shoot out. Sir Licksalot took a bite out of Scarlett's skirt and was greeted by a loud growl from the sociopath. The pup retreated into his backpack, leaving only his ears to stick out.

Team Vengeance passed multiple geysers in search of one that would shoot. It wasn't long before luck come their way and a jet of water erupted just feet from the team.

"Move!" Courtney barked, pulling her barrel and team in line with the falling water. The boiling liquid had cooled by the time it reached the ground and splashed all over Team Vengeance, causing Dave to freak out and scream about bacteria. Whatever water collected in the barrel was enough to start with and Team Vengeance quickly brought the heavy container to the larger and dumped it in, filling it up by a third.

"Two more good runs, and we're golden," Zoey cheered.

"Yeah, let's do it!" Eva pumped her fist.

Team Vengeance passed Team Evil again. The latter was still waiting, and after three total minutes, a jet burst out of the hole, drenching them with water and filling their barrel nearly to the top.

"Thank you, water gods!" Izzy chanted as they carried their collection back to their bowl.

"We're winning!" Owen whooped. "Eat it, Vengeance-ers! Woohoo!"

"Easy, big guy," Noah chuckled. "We haven't won yet, and honestly... my legs are running on fumes."

"As are mine," Dawn panted.

"And mine as well," Scarlett said. "But we can't let up. To the next geyser!"

"Hard right!" Courtney shouted, tugging the barrel in the specified direction. The team followed cue and parked themselves next to another hole.

Courtney caught Dave peeking at Sky from afar and kicked him in the foot. "Don't."

Dave snorted and looked away from his team _and _Sky to bask in his own misery.

Rodney and Scott bumped elbows and flashed each other a mean snarl.

"Hey, watch it," Rodney grumbled.

"No, you hit me," Scott hissed, poking the titan in the abdomen.

"Hey, farmboys!" Courtney barked. "Can the chatter and focus. I am _not _losing this challenge!"

"_You_?" Eva scoffed. "Selfish..."

"Don't call me selfish!" Courtney said with an authoritative tone akin to that of an angry parent.

"Make me," Eva growled before retreating to her quiet state.

"That's what I thought," the CIT scoffed, puffing her chest like an alpha.

Suddenly, the ground started rumbling and a column of water and steam shot skyward. Team Vengeance was doused yet again as their barrel filled to the top. They cheered and ran back to the bowl as Team Evil was waiting by what appeared to be an inactive geyser. However, when Team Vengeance reached the bowl, nearly half of the water had splashed out. Courtney ignored the issue and guided her team of six back into the field.

"Team V takes the lead!" Chris shouted. "Team Evil, you better start trying!"

Scarlett rolled her eyes as the geyser rumbled, shooting a jet of water into the air and into the barrel. The team ran as fast as Owen could, allowing Team Vengeance to collect another barrel full.

Both teams dumped into the bowls at the same time. Team Evil stood at a safe 60% while Team Vengeance was already at nearly 80% full.

Ten minutes passed and tension was building. No more geysers had blown and everyone was wondering if the challenge would end after enough down time. Chris even took a few seconds to check the time.

Then, out of the blue, a massive geyser beside Team Evil exploded, dousing them in hot water and filling their barrel enough to overflow onto their shoes. They dumped the water into their bowl, taking the lead with just a few gallons left. As they went back into the field, Owen was beginning to turn pale and sweat profusely from the extreme activity. Noah was in the same boat, but his legs were running on their own after so long.

Courtney stomped her foot impatiently as her team walked from geyser to geyser, hoping for a lucky break. Finally, it came in the form of several simultaneous explosions around the course. Both teams filled their barrels and raced to the finish line to claim victory.

Courtney, Rodney, and Eva pulled Team Vengeance closer to the end, but Team Evil was just feet away from immunity... when disaster struck. Owen finally gave out from exhaustion, falling forward and on top of the team's barrel. The water spilled out in front of the bowl as Scarlett growled, grabbing at her orange hair. Team Vengeance passed by and dumped the last bit into the bowl, raising a red flag up the pole and causing an eruption of cheers from the winners.

Courtney pumped her clenched fists as Dave freaked out about the rust on his hands. Rodney grabbed Eva in celebration and got kicked in the shin. Zoey high-fived the gentle giant for comfort as Scott fist-bumped himself.

Owen sat up and panted like a dog. "Sorry... guys. Guess I blew it, huh?"

"No," Scarlett hissed, her face matching her bun. "You _royally_ blew it!"

"Yes," Max snorted. "Very _un-_evil, sir." The soggy wolf pup licked his face and he kissed it on the muzzle. The pest let out a yip and a howl, causing the team to cringe and cover their ears.

Chris approached the teams. "Team Vengeance: economy class. Not too shabby. Team Evil: elimination and a night in the cargo hold. You know what to do..."

* * *

Team Horsepower reclined in their comfy seats and let out a collective moan of pleasure.

Brick let himself fall into the soft padding and looked to Jo. "Sweet victory, huh?"

Jo dug into her bowl of ice cream and nodded. "Definitely."

Jasmine grabbed Lightning's arm as he rested and snapped him a quick shake of her head. "Try anything that stupid again, and you're _gone_. Got it?"

Lightning scoffed and crossed his legs. "Sha-please! You're just jealous. Lightning won the challenges for ya, and you think _he _has the problem. Maybe you're just over-estimating your abilities. How's that for a sha-bam?"

Jasmine left Lightning without saying a word. Geoff joined her as they cruised the snack bar with Sky.

* * *

In economy class, Dave was freaking out about the germs on the benches. He made sure that every square inch was sanitized and forced the others to wipe their hands with baby wipes after touching their clothes.

Scott was whitling on a piece of wood and carved a wooden spoon in a few minutes. Rodney attempted to match it and ended up cutting his finger.

Eva and Zoey were sitting alone as they listened to music through their players.

No one said a word.

* * *

The six members of Team Evil met under the straw canopy to take their seats on the bleachers. Chris stood at the lectern with a sly grin on his face. "Team Evil, it's time to vote out your first loser. In the confessional, you'll find passports with the faces of your teammates on them. Stamp the face of the person you want to eliminate. Got it?"

* * *

**Confessional**

Scarlett stamps out a passport, but she doesn't show who's it is. "Easiest choice in my young life."

(Static)

Max scoffs and stamps Owen's passport. "Tubby's about to get it. Isn't that right, Sir Licksalot?"

(Static)

Owen panics and stamps the face of Scarlett.

**End Confessional**

* * *

Chris pulled up five barf bags full of peanuts. "These are barf bags. If you get one at elimination, you're safe for another day. Don't get one, and it's Drop of Shame time. Any who, bags go to... Scarlett, for winning our fire starting challenge..."

Owen slapped himself in embarrassment.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...Noah!"

The bookworm caught his bag and gagged upon smelling his prize.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...Dawn!"

The moonchild caught the bag in her cupped hands and smiled.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...and Izzy!"

Max and Owen sat at the bottom of the the stands. Owen was nervous while Max gleefully played with his pet's paws.

"And the last bag... goes to..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"_Owen! _Max, the Drop of Shame awaits!"

Owen sighed in relief as Max stood up with a gasp.

"Wrong!" the maniac laughed. "I shall never fall, for evil is eternal. If you strike me down, it will be the end of you, Chris McLean! MUHAHAHAHAHAHAH..."

The scene cut to the outside of the plane where Max was shown falling from the plane screaming. Inside, Chris tapped his chin. "Me thinks I forget to give him a parachute... hehe."

Scarlett breathed a happy breath as Noah and Owen smiled to each other. Chris turned to the camera. "One down, and seventeen to go! Where will we drop our players next? Find out next time on Total Drama... World Tour... _Round Trip_!"

* * *

**The Votes**

Max: 3

Owen: 2

Scarlett: 1 (Doesn't count)

**Eliminated: Max**

**Team Horsepower: Jasmine, Geoff, Sky, Jo, Brick, Lightning**

**Team Vengeance: Courtney, Rodney, Scott, Dave, Zoey, Eva**

**Team Evil: Scarlett, Owen, Noah, Izzy, Dawn**

* * *

**Drop of Shame: Max**

Max hit the ground, but luckily for the man child, he landed in a pool of water. He crawled out holding his wolf pup like it was his son and growled. "Stupid stink team! Voting the _evil out of evil _is plain wrong." He smiled at the puppy. "But at least I have you..."

A growling sounded echoed around him and he came face to face with a pack of adult wolves. He chuckled nervously and held onto Sir Licksalot. "Oh, look. It's your, uh, family. What a nice surprise, right? Right..."

The pack jumped him and he screamed as the camera panned up to the moon.

* * *

**Reason: **Max is a fun character to write, but any plot he had here would've been a rehash of his thing with Scarlett and let's face it: he'd never make the final five in a real competition. Sorry to all his fans, but I needed a first boot and Max was an easy person to eliminate due to his annoying tendencies around the others.

* * *

**~A/N~ I won't reveal who voted for who every time or at all to keep potential plots in place, but it's obvious who voted for who if you pay attention. Originally, Max was always the first to go, so nothing to say here. If you enjoyed, be sure to fav, follow, and review, and I'll see you guys next time. Foreseer... out!**

**Review Replies:**

**PizzaTheBomb: **Thanks. Dawn is awesome, and I'm glad you love this so far.

**Knifez: **Thanks again. Hopefully Max's early departure wasn't too upsetting for you.

**The Abysswalker: **Mike was originally supposed to be here, but was cut in favor of having a smaller cast. Geoff was added as a replacement for a couple first gen males when I trimmed down the cast and Bridgette wasn't even considered.

**Corbinace: **Max is a very childlike person, so it only made sense to give his pet a childlike name.

**Guest: **What about Noah, Zoey, and Jasmine? Anyways, Skave doesn't want to admit each of their faults and this eats away at them. Trust me, I'll resolve it...

**JokerCarnage5: **Thanks. Duncan was never considered over characters who needed screen time or resolution.

**JojiMC: **Thanks again!

**Happy77123: **Thanks!

**XxCheesyWafflesxX: **Most of those questionables were chosen because they weren't used wisely or at all in canon. I also needed a few underdogs to mix in with heavy hitters. Thanks for the positivity!

**Mystic LionRoar: **Thanks. Skave will see a resolution one way or another and Max... Yeah.

**DarkQueenOfWonderland: **Anything's possible...

**Ali6132: **Thanks. About my originality, it's funny. I thought my idea was bland and overdone, but then I saw how many WT fics were crappy SYOC stories. XD


	3. Guinea or Guts!

**~A/N~ I'm shocked to see so many people loving this story. I truly am. Thanks to all who've reviewed so far, because you're the best. Seriously, you rock! **

**Anyways, I'd like to make an announcement. I won't be doing aftermath episodes after every four eliminations. I'll do something... different. ;)**

* * *

_Episode 3: Guinea Or Guts!_

* * *

"Last time on Total Drama World Tour: Round Trip, our eighteen players were split into three teams. Jasmine, Courtney, and Scarlett picked their peoples, leaving _yours truly _to spice things up. Courtney was stuck with Scott. Scarlett was stuck with Max. And Jasmine from down under avoided a blunder when her rival, Lightning, won the first challenge. But come part two, things got... tension-y. Scott and Rodney ignited a feud, forcing Courtney to take charge. Owen blew a sure victory for Team Evil, which put them up for elimination. But surprisingly, Owen was spared when Scarlett allied to boot Max for being annoying. Now, seventeen remain! Can Team Evil keep out of loser territory? Can Rodney find a way to woo Courtney? Will Dave continue to pout over Sky? _Yes_ to at least one of those on this exciting episode of Total Drama... World Tour... _Round Trip_!"

(The theme song plays)

* * *

As the revamped jumbo jet soared over the Pacific Ocean in the morning light, the three teams were waking up to a beautiful sunrise that cast crimson glows on the shining plane. The water below rippled with sparkling waves. Small islands of green dotted the seascape.

The teams met up in the mess hall where the chubby male intern was setting up the tables with plates of scrambled eggs and orange juice. The teens took their seats and immediately started talking about whatever.

On Team Evil, the five players were a mess. Dawn's hair was standing up in every place, making her look like a feral. Noah was startled at any movement due to his lack of sleep. Scarlett was staring into space. Izzy was constantly chuckling to herself. Owen collapsed at the table and fell face first into his eggs.

"That was... interesting," Noah yawned.

"I've never slept so terribly since the night of my pre-school graduation speech," Scarlett mumbled.

Izzy laughed and wobbled back and forth. "Come on guys... Just let the feelings flow through your body. Feel the..." She stopped and passed out. Drool seeped from her slack jaw.

"My aura readings are... off," Dawn sighed. "I think I'll just meditate today."

Scarlett rolled her eyes and turned to her breakfast. She stabbed the eggs with her fork and examined the food. To her disgust, the eggs were overcooked and dry.

* * *

**Confessional**

Scarlett yawns and crossed her arms. "It might sound pitiful, but I would take the wild berries of Pahkitew Island any day. Mainly because several were toxic and could be used to poison the others, but you get the idea."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Team Vengeance was somewhat well rested, but each member was sore from the hard benches and terrible sleeping positions.

Courtney cracked her neck and back before digging into her eggs. "So, farmboy? Feel like home?"

"Yeah," Rodney chuckled nervously. "I eat a dozen eggs a day on the farm and-"

"Watch your mouth, _bub_," Scott sneered, poking the bigger boy in the arm with his fork. "The lady was talking to me. And yeah, it does. Eggs, rats, the whole sha-bang."

"Rats!?" Dave jumped, his eyes shooting around the room. "Where?! In my pants?! In my eyes?!"

"In economy class," Eva scoffed. "Don't really see the problem. Just grow a pair."

"The problem?!" the germaphobe panicked, tugging at his short hair. "The problem is the rats!"

"Yeah, I know," Zoey said, putting a soft hand on Dave's shoulder. "Totally creepy, huh? I think one crawled into my mouth last night... ugh."

Dave's mouth started to quiver as his eyes watered.

* * *

**Confessional**

Dave furiously scrubs his mouth with a toothbrush. Tears flow down his cheeks.

**End Confessional**

* * *

Lastly, Team Horsepower took their seats with relaxed smiles. Jasmine let out a happy yawn. Jo and Brick did a few stretches. Lightning checked his flexed muscles. Sky and Geoff dug right into their eggs.

"Good work, bro," Geoff told the intern. "These are the _bomb!_"

"Not as good as the eggs I make, but still good," Jasmine sighed happily. "Just wish they were a little less... cooked."

"Pfft. Sha-greed!" Lightning scoffed. "The Lightnin' likes his protein _raw._"

"Raw eggs?" Sky asked politely. "I love raw eggs. One time, I ate ten in under a minute to-"

"Hey, eggheads," Jo snarled. "Shut it so I can eat." She shoved a bite into her mouth and chewed with intensity.

"No need to be angsty," Brick tapped her shoulder. "It's just breakfast."

* * *

**Confessional**

Jo rolls her eyes. "Just breakfast? More like a million dollar competition. Every move I make counts in the end, and until I take over this team, I'll be moving like crazy."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Dawn stared in horror at her eggs as the others sat puzzled. "Oh, cruel world. I will find the beast who stole you from your mother and your right to life if it's the last thing I do..."

Noah sighed. "It's breakfast... not an Aztec ritual. Just eat them."

"But I'm a strict vegan, Noah," the moonchild cooed sorrowfully. "Any product derived from a living creature is immoral."

"Pfft. Hippie," Noah said, going back to his book.

Scarlett moved Dawn's plate closer. "Eat. You need the energy for proper cognitive function."

Dawn froze when her eyes met Scarlett's. "Your aura. It's... dark..."

"Way ahead of you," Noah smirked. "I know about your act, Scarlett. Frankly, I don't care. If I was on an island with a singing princess, an Amazon warrior, a zombie freak, a selfish athlete, a crazy germaphobe, and whatever Max was, I'd try to kill them too."

"Sarcasm," Scarlett pointed out. "You would never match up to me, nor do you have the drive to do so.

"Whatever," Noah sighed. "At least I have the biggest fanbase aside from Duncan."

Suddenly, the plane sputtered and Chef came on the PA system. "Brace yourselves! We're making a landing!"

Courtney grabbed onto the table for dear life as soon as the words hit her ears. Her entire team jumped on the table too, piling on top of her.

Jasmine and the rest of Team HP braced themselves on their benches as the turbulence rattled the plane with hurricane-like forces.

Owen was flung off the seat with the eggs stuck to his face and fell on top of Noah as he tried to run for cover. Izzy was thrown into the air and banged her head on the metal ceiling with a clank.

The plane settled and the teens got their footing. Jets of water sprayed on the windows as they looked outside to see a clear, cyan tinted ocean.

"It's... beautiful," Dawn said in awe.

"Myeh," Noah shrugged.

Sky pushed herself into the glass and saw schools of silver fish swimming just below the surface. "Where are we?"

"Move!" Lightning shoved the Olympian out of his way. "Looks like the ocean."

"Wow! Really?" Jo said mockingly. "I never would've guessed."

Brick chuckled and Lightning rolled his eyes.

Chris walked into the mess hall, now a total mess, and smirked. "How'd the landing go?"

"It was terrible," Scott groaned, rubbing his scalp. "I got thrown into the table and nearly died."

"You're fine, Scott," Courtney mumbled viciously.

"Great," the host said, clapping his hands once. "Today, we'll be having fun at the beach. And by fun, I mean a terrible day that will haunt you for the rest of your possibly _short _lives. Welcome, to Papua New Guinea!"

"Sounds lame," Eva cracked her neck.

"Yeah," Zoey agreed. "I want to go to places like Egypt and India, not the ocean."

"Relax," Chris said, pushing his palms towards the girls. "Today will not be lame nor will it be boring. But before we start our challenge, we need to get to shore. In the cargo hold, you'll find a raft. Use it to hit the nearest beach where Chef and I will be waiting. Cool?"

"As me," Lightning boasted, drawing groans of annoyance from the others.

* * *

The teens pushed the giant raft off the plane and jumped on. Jasmine and Jo grabbed the paddles and began stroking to shore as the others sat in uncomfortable silence. Rodney was _still _staring at Courtney. Sky and Dave were _still _being awkward around each other as they were forced to sit close to one another. Owen was _still_ sleeping as Izzy poked at his belly. Dawn stared at Scarlett with unease. Nobody spoke, only thought.

* * *

**Confessional**

Scott leans against the door. "Today's the day. Time to make some moves."

(Static)

Dawn nibbles at her lips. "Scarlett will be a danger to the group if she stays. I must find a way to get her away from the others."

(Static)

Courtney crossed her arms and stares angrily into the camera. "This team better hold together today. I want to make the merge as a team of six... Well, maybe without Scott or Zoey, but I want a majority!"

(Static)

Dave sighs. "I need some allies. But who to go with?"

(Static)

Noah reads his book without saying anything. Chris bursts in and shouts, "Move it!" Noah jumps and drops his book.

**End Confessional**

* * *

The remaining players beached the giant, yellow raft and crawled over each other to reach the sand. Once the chaos settled, Chris and Chef approached them from out of nowhere.

"Great job, guys. Boring ride, but that's what editing's for," Chris ended with a simple shrug.

"Wait..." Zoey asked, tapping her mouth. "How'd you get here so fast?"

"We took a speedboat. Unfortunately, there was only room for nineteen people, so... Anyways, who's ready to get this challenge underway?"

"Yeah!" Jo cheered. Jasmine, Sky, Geoff, Brick, and Lightning followed suit.

Courtney noticed Team HP's enthusiasm and raised a hand. "Yeah," she cheered with no hope in her voice.

"Not a chance," Noah sighed, stuffing his book into his sweater vest. "Lay it on us, host-dude."

"Awesome," Chris said, following up with a maniacal grin. Nervous glances emanated from the crowd as Chef walked into the bushes and pulled out a large table that spanned at least 30 feet of beach, about the length of three trucks. "Today's challenge is one I like to call... _Guinea or Guts!_"

"Sounds... interesting," Jasmine smirked.

"And interesting it is, Jasmine," the host said. "But first: a little history lesson! This island's native tribes have lived without modern technology for hundreds of years, so in order to get what they need, they have to hunt. One of the animals that the natives adore... is bushpig. This porker is packed with plentiful nutrients and nothing goes to waste... _Nothing_. For today's challenge, you'll be eating very special parts of the pig while trying to keep it down. Each team will answer a trivia question about this country. Get it right, and you don't have to eat. Get it wrong, and your team may lose some players. Fail to finish the meal or be the last one with food on your plate, and you're out!"

Scarlett and Dave felt their stomachs churning and grabbed their bellies. Geoff was sweating as he bit down on his tongue. Dawn was failing to pick up her jaw. The only person who seemed happy was Jasmine.

* * *

**Confessional**

Jasmine scoffs. "Back in Australia, I eat weird parts all the time. I just hope the others can keep up."

(Static)

Scarlett groans with a shudder. "I... hate... eating challenges."

(Static)

Courtney looks at the ceiling and twiddles her thumbs. "I can eat disgusting foods. But even _I _have limits. Bird puke, animal parts? That's _not _food."

**End Confessional**

* * *

The teams stood behind each section of the table. Chef had laid colored mats over every ten feet and given each captain a small blackboard and a piece of chalk.

Noah winked to Scarlett. "You can have the questions. I don't trust anyone else with keeping us out of third class."

"Thank you, Noah," she said with a nod. "Trust me. I know my geography."

Courtney grabbed the board and rubbed the sand off. "I'll do the answering. Any objections?"

"Not... a one," Rodney chimed with dreamy eyes.

Zoey stepped forward with a hand raised. "But shouldn't we vote?"

Courtney held the board to her chest in a defensive manner and turned her cheek.

Jasmine looked to her team and held the board out. "Anyone think they know New Guinea?"

"Lightning knows!" came the overachiever, snapping the tablet out from under Jasmine's nose.

"Hey!" Jo conked Lightning on the head. "No chance, Jockstrap! Give it!" She reached for the board and tugged against Lightning's grip as Jasmine watched in embarrassment.

Geoff pushed the two apart and took the board for himself. "Dudes, stop the fighting! We need to work as a team!"

"Agreed," Sky added. "We should work together to answer the questions. One of us is bound to know, right?"

Jo rolled her eyes and sneered. "Fine. But if we lose..."

"What?" Geoff asked. "I'm going home? Dudette, you need to chill. It's just a game."

"Yeah, for a cool mil!" Lightning exclaimed angrily, pushing Jo to the ground and getting sucked down with her. The pair shoved each other across the sand as Sky and Jasmine shot each other worried glances.

* * *

After the dust settled, Chef arrived with a rolling table. Covered plates were lined up in rows on the tabletop.

Chris stepped forward and cleared his throat with an 'ahem.' He reached into his pocket and pulled a small slip of paper. "Campers... this is your first question. Write the letter of the correct answer on the board. Get it right and you're safe. Get it wrong... and... Well, you know what happens. Question #1: What is the capital of Papua New Guinea? Is it A) Santo Domingo, B) Port Moresby, or C) Jakarta?"

Scarlett immediately scribbled her answer as Noah watched with a smirk on his face.

Jasmine thought for a second and grabbed the board from an unsuspecting Jo to write her response. The jockette kicked the white sand on Jasmine's shoes out of butthurt and rested her elbows on the table.

Courtney tapped the chalk on her chin, leaving a white mark that Scott found hilarious for obvious reasons.

"What?!" Courtney hissed, snapping the chalk in two pieces with her tight grip.

"Nothing," he replied casually. "Just write an answer."

Courtney sighed and turned to her team. "Anyone got a clue?"

"I know it's not A," Zoey mumbled with a whisper. "Go with C. Works on math tests."

* * *

**Confessional**

Courtney shrugs. "So what if Zoey's wrong? If she is, I'll just pin the blame on her. You can never ditch a threat too early."

**End Confessional**

* * *

The captains flipped their boards. Scarlett and Jasmine had B while C was written on Courtney's. The CIT gulped when she saw the difference.

"And Team Evil and Team HP got it right!" Chris exclaimed. He turned to Chef and winked.

The cook grabbed a random plate and set it in front of a terrified Team Vengeance. Dave gagged from the smell, Rodney tugged at his shoulder strap, and Scott licked his lips.

"Team V, you'll be eating..." Chris yanked off the cover. "Pig ears! Local delicacy!"

Dave turned pale upon seeing the flaps of fat and skin and fell over, clutching his stomach.

"Tough luck, guys. You're _already down _a player, hehe... Eat up!"

Courtney picked up an ear and nibbled at the tip. The taste of wax filled her mouth and she puked in her mouth. However, she stuck to her determination and ate her piece like a chunk of nasty, waxy jerky.

Rodney panicked and shoved it in his mouth. The lover boy swallowed it whole and shuddered as it went down his throat.

Zoey and Eva managed to choke their pieces down... until Zoey hurled all over the sand, splattering it everywhere. She let out a sick groan and joined a shaking Dave on the sidelines.

Chris clapped. "Wow, guys. Only two down? Not too shabby. Next question: What is the name of the bird on the national emblem of this country. Is it A) the bird of paradise, B) the peacock, or C) the long-tailed pigeon?"

Jasmine felt her heart drop. She didn't have a clue. Jo grabbed the board from her grip and smirked. "Got it."

"Ya' sure?" Jasmine asked with suspicion. The Australian peeked over the athlete's shoulder and Jo covered her answer.

"What? Don't trust me? Well get over it!"

Courtney looked to a sick Rodney, a bored Eva, and a smiling Scott for answers. No one had a clue. "Uh... Yeah."

Scarlett tapped on the table with her chalk and noticed that Owen was still asleep. Noah was reading his book, taking the time to look at Scarlett once every few seconds. Izzy and Dawn were impatiently waiting for Scarlett to write _something. _

"Need help?" Izzy asked in a seductive tone.

"No!" Scarlett snapped.

"How about now?" Izzy giggled.

* * *

**Confessional**

"Pathetic," Scarlett says, rolling her eyes. "If this show wasn't being filmed, there would be blood. Honestly, I can't understand how one would deal with such... annoyances."

(Static)

Izzy crosses her arms with a grin on her face. "Oh, she is so crazy. Maybe she's my long lost sister from the depths of hell. Wouldn't that be _so cool_!"

(Static)

Owen lets out a snore as he leans on the window, still asleep. A drip of drool drops on his shirt.

**End Confessional**

* * *

"And reveal!" Chris looked over the answers. Team Evil had put down A while Team Vengeance and Horsepower had put down B due to familiarity bias. "And the correct answer is... the bird of paradise! Team Evil, you're safe again. Teams V and HP, time to eat dish numero dos!"

"But this isn't Mexico, bro," Geoff said, puzzled.

Chris sighed and plopped the plates on the tables. He lifted them to reveal two piles of eyeballs. "Pig eyes! Local delicacy!"

"Ewww..." Courtney shuddered.

"Looks like jell-o," Brick said as he poked at his serving. "No matter. I've eaten worse in boot camp."

"Yeah, well put your ego where eyeball's going and eat," Jo barked, downing the eye in one gulp.

Jasmine, Sky, and Lightning choked their food down while Courtney, Scott, and Eva did the same. It was down to Brick, Geoff, and Rodney.

Geoff turned green and coughed the eye into his hands. Jasmine quickly shoved it back in as Brick finished. Rodney bit off piece by piece as it squirted fluids down his chin. Just as Geoff was about to swallow, he coughed it back up again and Rodney finally swallowed.

"Dang it," Geoff groaned, standing up and taking his spot next to Dave and Zoey.

Chris chuckled and pulled out another card. "Nice job, guys. But eyes are child's play to what's up next. Question three: Papua New Guinea shares its island domain with what other nation? Is it A) New Zealand, B) Indonesia, or C) Guinea?"

* * *

**Confessional**

Dawn sighs. "I hope we win this time. I couldn't bring myself to eat these horrific dishes."

(Static)

Brick scoffs. "Bring on the pain, Chris. I can eat all day!" Suddenly, he turns green.

(Static)

Rodney pumps his fists in the air. "Eat it, other teams! Literally. Hah!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

The three teams revealed their answers. Team Evil, or just Scarlett, guessed B, but Team Vengeance guessed C and Team HP guessed B along with Team Evil."

"Team Vengeance. Wrong AGAIN!" Chris exclaimed, a grin on his face. He handed a pissed off Courtney the plate and removed the lid. Underneath were gelatinous balls of clear, pinkish flesh. "Pickled pigs feet! Loc-"

"I know people here eat it!" Courtney screamed. "Just shut up and let me eat!" The CIT popped it into her mouth and gagged, spitting it onto the plate. "Ugh..."

Scott laughed like a kid in a candy store. "Relax, babe. I eat these all the time back on the farm. Just pretend you're eating a pork chop." Scott sucked his foot down like it was nothing, causing Eva to cringe.

"Yeah," Courtney said with a frightened tone. "Just... pork chop." She slowly brought the flesh back to her maw and bit off a piece. Rodney and Eva got theirs down without a problem and Courtney swallowed her first chunk. Knowing that there was no time to waste, she gagged and swallowed again and again until it went down. "Done!"

"And Courtney's out," Chris chimed in as if on cue.

"What?!" she gasped in shock. "I finished it!"

"True, but last to finish is out. 'Member?"

Courtney grabbed the extra feet on the plate and threw them at Chris's face before she left, leaving the host covered in goo.

* * *

**Confessional**

Courtney pukes into the toilet as flies buzz around her.

**End Confessional**

* * *

Chris returned after washing his face and read the next question. "The skin of what animal is used to make ceremonial drums in New Guinean tribal culture? Is it A) Pigs, B) Deer, or C) People?"

Scarlett chuckled when Chris read the last choice, leaving the beach dead quiet with disturbed stares.

"What?" she shrugged. The others looked away and Scarlett wrote her answer.

Without Courtney, Team Vengeance was lost. Eva and Rodney were barely trying and Scott was picking his teeth in preparation for course number three. In the end, Eva grabbed the board for herself.

On Team Horsepower, Jasmine hesitantly wrote her answer. The others looked at the board and gasped.

"You're not seriously writing that, are you?" Sky asked with a whisper.

"Trust me, guys. I know what I'm doing," she replied with a wink.

"What if you don't?" Jo buzzed.

"I do."

"Sure?"

"Yeah."

Lightning snorted and pushed Jo aside. "Let me look." He took a glance at the answer and grabbed his stomach.

"Time's up!" Chris boomed, grabbing a plate. "Reveal!"

All three teams chose C and Chris looked surprised. "Uh... correct. Yeah, that's messed up that you all knew that. Not sure what to say... Wait. Yeah, I have a an idea. How about _everyone _has to eat?!"

"What?!" came the group collectively as shocked expressions erupted on their faces.

"You can't do that!" Scarlett snarled, slamming her board on the table. "This wasn't in the aforementioned rules!"

"Screw the rules," Chris shrugged. "We have to finish this challenge somehow, and with your trivial knowledge, Scarlett, this was pretty necessary."

"No it wasn't," Sky barked in protest.

"Yeah," Lightning screamed. "The Lightning won fair and square."

"Excuse me," Jasmine coughed, nudging him in the head with her elbow.

"Sha-quit it!" he hissed back.

"_Enough_!" Chris growled. "You're all eating and you'll all play along. Team Vengeance, I like how quiet you've been about this new rule, so maybe I won't serve you."

"Oh, what the (bleep)?!" Scarlett exploded with a deathly scream, causing everyone on Team Evil, except the sleeping loaf Owen, to take a few steps back.

"For this course, you'll be eating brain food. Hehe." Chris removed the covers from the plates. On them were blocks of grayish jelly. "Pig brains."

"Haha," Noah deadpanned. "_Brain _food. Hilarious. Where'd you get that? Pre-school joke books?"

Chris curled his lip and lowered his brow. "No. Now eat."

Team Horsepower dug right in and managed to get half of the brains down before Lightning turned green. Feeling nauseous, he leaned forward and hurled all over the ground before groggily stumbling over to Dave, Courtney, Geoff, and Zoey. Jasmine, Jo, and Brick also finished, leaving Sky to choke and gag, unable to finish.

When Team Evil began to grab at the brains, Owen's nostrils flared and the tubby boy shot up, sniffing at the air. "Is that... FOOD!?" His eyes locked on the brains and he dumped the entire pile into his mouth, letting out a loud burp to finish off.

"It's over!" Chris boomed. "Sky, you're out. Team Evil, minus Owen, because you _can't eat _your meal... you're _all _out!"

Scarlett's jaw dropped. Noah dropped his book. Dawn gasped, gripping her soft cheeks. Izzy just laughed. Owen just rubbed his shoulder casually as if nothing was wrong.

* * *

**Confessional**

Owen sighs. "That was awesome! Too bad I eliminated Noah and Izzy. She'll never get back with me now."

(Static)

Scarlett slams on the door. "I _knew _we should've voted him out first. I _knew _it!"

(Static)

"Glad I don't have that guy on my team," Jasmine says, a smirk on her face.

**End Confessional**

* * *

Team Evil, minus Owen, took their seats with the other eliminated players, now including Sky. Dave was still pale as a ghost and trembling as well. Noah looked at the terrified teen and smiled.

"Don't worry, bro," Noah chuckled. "It can only go uphill from here."

Dave just sat there with a blank expression.

Chris stepped forward. "Okay. Owen is still in it for Team Evil. Rodney, Scott, and Eva are in it for Team Vengeance. And Jasmine, Jo, and Brick are in for Team HP. Looks like Team Evil might lose a second player out of the gate."

"Don't count on it," Owen said, getting dead serious. "Bring on the pain, Chris. Give me your meat!"

Off screen, Noah slapped himself.

"Uh, okay," Chris said, pulling out the next card. "What is the name of the sea to the EAST of Papua New Guinea? Is it A) The Coral Sea, B) The Solomon Sea, or C) The Bismark Sea?"

Just as Chris finished the question, Owen ditched his board and scribbled the answer on his stomach, using his shirt to obscure the letter. Jasmine knew it and didn't take any time to think. Rodney was too caught up in staring at Courtney to answer, so Eva grabbed the board again.

"And reveal!"

Jasmine has written down B while Owen and Eva had written down A and C respectively.

"Team Horsepower, you're correct!" Chris said. The host grabbed two plates and set them on the tables. "I give you... pig rectum!"

"Ewww..." Scott groaned. "You mean we have to toss salad?"

"That's exactly what it means," Chris chuckled.

"Looks amazing, dude," Owen giggled, shoving the plate in his mouth and pulling it out, clean and shiny.

* * *

**Confessional**

Scott smiles devilishly. "Y'know, me and him could get along. I respect his guts."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Rodney managed to get half of his down before he puked all over Eva, causing her to punch him in the face. The giant fell to the ground and Scott kicked dirt in his face. Eva and Scott both finished their dishes, sending Rodney to the loser line.

"Next question!" Chris announced. "Which of these objects served as the national currency for the country until 1933? Is it A) Sea shells, B) Rice, or C) Wood?"

Owen, Eva, and Jasmine scribbled their answers after a moment of thinking and revealed. Jasmine guessed B, Owen guessed C, and Eva guessed B as well.

"All wrong!" Chris shouted. "The answer was A. For this course, you'll be eating a classic: pig testicles!"

When Chris removed the covers, Scott and Owen cringed and Brick passed out. Jo tried to slap him awake, but ended up dragging him to the peanut gallery once it became clear that he wasn't competing.

* * *

**Confessional**

Brick rubs his head and groans. "Back in training, I've gotten so many nut-shots that just looking at those things was traumatic. Good thing Jo and Jasmine have strong stomachs."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Jasmine swallowed the last of her serving. Jo swallowed soon after, as did Owen. Eva and Scott were still chewing.

"Just give up!" Scott coughed through the bits of goo and membrane.

"We're on the same... team..." Eva groaned as the food came back up.

"Yeah, but I can eat this stuff. Can you?"

Eva thought for a second and rolled her eyes before spitting it out. "Can't do it..."

"And Eva's out!" Chris said. "It's Owen vs. Scott vs. Jasmine and Jo. This round could be it if one of the guys drops out. Next question: Name _one _color on the flag of Papua New Guinea."

Owen thought deeply, clutching his temples. "Oh, I got it!"

Scott and Jasmine wrote down their answers with a nervous movement of their chalk.

"And reveal!"

Jasmine and Jo had written red. Owen had written red as well. Scott had written blue.

Chris smiled and read from his card. "And the answers are: black, yellow, white, and... red! Team Vengeance, or just Scott, you're the only one who answered wrong, so that means..."

"We won!" Owen bellowed like an elephant.

Jasmine and Jo pumped their fists in excitement and high-fived.

"No way!" Scott growled. "Check your card!"

Chris flicked the card at Scott, hitting him in the eye. Everyone other than Team Vengeance laughed and celebrated.

* * *

**Confessional**

Dave is shuddering in the fetal position. "Thank God that's over! Now I just need to think about who to send home."

(Static)

"Hmm," Scarlett hums. "Owen may have cost us the first challenges, but he came though surprisingly well for someone with such girth. Maybe he's worth keeping around after all."

(Static)

Courtney screams and stares angrily into the camera. "There are so many ways I could vote tonight. _Everyone _failed... Well, everyone but _me _of course."

**End Confessional**

* * *

In first class once again, Team Horsepower was eating a beautiful and delicious steak dinner. Jasmine had finished and went to wash up for the night, leaving Jo to pull Brick aside. They met in the small alcove behind the snack bar and squeezed in together.

"So... What's it gonna be, Whizzy?"

"Whizzy? Seriously?"

"Yes," Jo said, her eyes rolling. "Now how do you feel about that alliance?"

"Well, I guess I'm in. Who else is there?"

"Maybe Jockstrap."

Brick looked sad. "What about Jasmine?"

"No way. She's gonna go first."

"But why?" Brick asked, getting slightly uncomfortable.

"She's a threat. Duh. Do you want to merge with her?"

"She'd be a strong ally."

"Or a strong opponent. Think about it: Get rid of her and the little Olympian and we can control the game. Geoff's dumb enough to get roped in and Lightning hates those two, so it's practically set at this point. You in?"

Brick nervously looked to the side. "Yeah. Count me in, soldier."

Jo smirked before returning to dinner with a saddened cadet by her side.

* * *

In economy class, Team Evil was resting as the sun set on Oceania. Scarlett and Owen were sleeping, the former wearing a blindfold to block out the light. Izzy was poking at Owen's belly and playing with his chest hair. Dawn was sitting next to a bored Noah.

"Some flight," he snorted. "Chris spared _every _expense with this season."

"It's not that bad," the moonchild said. "You could always start a casual conversation with your teammates."

"And risk losing my mind? No way."

"Then we could talk about the game?"

"Nope."

"Well, listen to my words, Noah. Don't trust Scarlett so easily. She's a wolf in sheep's clothing. If you were truly smart, you'd vote her off next."

"Dawn, she's the only other person I relate to on the plane. I could care less if she's willing to murder everyone."

"But-"

Noah stood up and grabbed him book. "And I'm off to read."

As he walked off, Dawn let out a soft sigh.

* * *

**Confessional**

Dawn sighs and puts her hands together like she's praying. "I hope Noah can one day see the truth and the error of his thoughts. If I am to rid this plane of dark aura, I'll need his help."

(Static)

"So Dawn is out to get me? Interesting," Scarlett smirks.

**End Confessional**

* * *

Team Vengeance took their seats on the bleachers as Chris started the ceremony.

"Well done, guys. I thought you might end up here," Chris winked. "Any thoughts on your team's performance?"

"We'll _never _come back here again," Courtney growled, crossing her arms. "I can pin the blame on almost anyone here." Her team shot her peeved glares of disdain.

"Care to elaborate?" Chris teased.

"Yeah," Zoey sighed. "I just feel like our team had a bad day. I say we just forget about it and move on."

Scott let out a snort of contempt. "Says the loser who wanted to have a group forum to discuss the vote."

"I thought it was a good idea," Zoey shrugged.

"I'm with Zoey," Rodney said, stout like a tree. "Let's just vote already."

"Fine. Go vote, you wusses," Chris said, resting his chin on his upright arm.

* * *

**Confessional**

Courtney stamps a passport. "Easiest choice ever."

(Static)

Dave looks between two passports.

(Static)

Rodney stamps a passport. "For Courtney!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Chris pulled out five barf bags. "Okay. Bags go to..."

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"Eva..."

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"Rodney..."

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"And Courtney!"

The three caught their bags with glee and looked down at Scott, Zoey, and Dave.

"Dave, you dropped out first without even trying the food. Scott, you blew it at the last minute. And Zoey, you did very little to help your team today and tried to conduct a group discussion about the vote. The loser is..."

Zoey looked nervous as sweat rolled down her head. Scott smirked with his arms crossed. Dave was trembling.

"..."

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"Zoey!" Chris threw Dave and Scott their bags, leaving Zoey in shock.

"But how?!" she gasped. She looked up to the row above to see Courtney smirking as she popped a peanut into her mouth. "Ugh. Fine." With a wave, the redhead stood up and waved goodbye, wishing her team luck in the next challenge. And with that, she was gone with a terrified scream.

"Good riddance," Courtney mumbled.

Scott winked at Courtney and she rolled her eyes.

"That's two losers down, and sixteen left!" Chris said, leaning against the doorway to the open sky. "Who will fall next time? Stick around for more Total Drama... World Tour... _Round Trip!"_

* * *

**The Votes**

Zoey: 3

Scott: 2

Dave: 1

**Eliminated: Max, Zoey**

**Team Horsepower: Jasmine, Jo, Sky, Geoff, Brick, Lightning**

**Team Vengeance: Courtney, Dave, Scott, Rodney, Eva**

**Team Evil: Scarlett, Izzy, Noah, Dawn, Owen**

* * *

**Drop of Shame: Zoey**

Zoey was falling and falling with a sad look on her face. She pulled her string and her chute deployed. As she floated down, she sighed. "Maybe I was too friendly. I _was _playing with Scott, Courtney, and Eva, so maybe I wasn't mean enough. I'm not actually that mad. I've made it deep twice, so I guess my time was bound to be short for once. Still, I wish I had time to prove my worth without Mike and Cam. The fans hate me for that. Oh well. At least I get to see Mike again."

Zoey hit the clear water and crawled up on the beach. She took off her pack and stretched. "Huh. That wasn't too bad."

Suddenly, a dark skinned man leapt from the bushes and startled her. He was wearing only a loincloth and a bone in his nose.

Zoey slowly backed away. "Uh, nice... _cannibal?!" _The man approached her and she swatted him away. "No! Bad!" Suddenly, a dozen more men like him poked their heads out of the bushes, armed with spears and clubs. "Oh... crap..."

**End Drop of Shame: Zoey**

* * *

_Reasoning:_

_Zoey was always an early boot from the beginning, and even though I like her (somewhat), she didn't need to go far again and was only included to fill a ROTI female spot. Sorry, Zoey fans! :(_

* * *

**~A/N~ I know that was predictable, but not every boot can be epic and shocking, seeing as most of this cast isn't fodder and will do something major at some point. Hope you all enjoyed, and I'll see you next time! Foreseer... out!**

* * *

**Review Replies:**

**PizzaTheBomb: Team Evil is my favorite to write, so I'm not surprised that they're the funniest of the bunch. Thanks again!**

**Guest: Thanks for the great review. Courtney is correct in deeming Zoey a threat though. She's likeable to everyone and has good challenge skills. Which is... Yeah.**

**Corbinace: Thanks! Told you I'd have it out today. ;)**

**JojiMC: Thanks again. Your reviews are the best. :D**

**DarkQueenOfWonderland: Thanks!**

**JokerCarnage5: Thanks! Team Evil is all about oddballs, and I just had to stick the straight guy and girl on it.**

**Guest: Thanks for accepting the boot. I'm shocked that no one raged, but I know Zoey fans might be flustered now.**

**asits9: I take it you hate Max. I don't blame you. I love him, but he **_**is **_**annoying.**

**Knifez: I thought it was **_**too **_**obvious when I wrote it. Thanks again, and don't worry about updates. I'm not writing TD: Avengeance here! XD**

**Creaturemaster: Thanks. I just read what I write in the character voices to see what fits. Sorry that Chef got pushed into the background. He'll have some time to shine. ;)**

**Mystic LionRoar: Thanks. Care to explain how Sky's OOC? I'm not mad. I just want to know.**

**The Abysswalker: Thanks for the deep review! Yeah, if you had an account, you could follow this story (not insisting upon it though) and chat about it. Glad you're keeping up though! (Oh, and this is a separate timeline from ROTU.)**


	4. Ding Dong Dutch!

**~A/N~ Episode Four! Thanks to all of you for sticking with me so far as this story gets a running start, because things are about to take off big time within the next couple episodes. Also, I'd like to give a VERY SPECIAL THANKS to fellow author Lowland Warrior for helping me with some of the challenges in this episode. You rock, dude. So, without further ado, enjoy!**

* * *

_Episode 4: Ding Dong Dutch!_

* * *

"Last time on Total Drama World Tour: Round Trip, we dropped down for a stay in tropical Papua New Guinea. Here, our contestants sampled a few local delicacies for a chance at first class and to avoid the dreaded elimination ceremony. Team Vengeance started out terribly at the hands of Zoey and Dave, with only Scott's iron stomach keeping them afloat. But a surprise twist in the game awoke the sleeping giant, Owen, and crushed Vengeance's chances. Team Horsepower won their second challenge and Team Evil barely escaped a second boot, but Zoey, poor, poor, innocent Zoey, was cast away by Courtney's scheming. Now, only sixteen players remain. How will I find a new way to punish them? Will Owen screw over his team again? Will Team Horsepower finally boot a player? Who will fall to their doom?! Find out tonight, on Total Drama... World Tour... Round Trip!"

(Theme song plays)

* * *

Dave stared at the dark walls as the rumble of the engines rocked his body. Small, furry shapes skittered across the floor and the clean-freak let out a whiny squeak.

"They're just rats," Scott scoffed to the young man. "Get over it."

"Easy for you to say," Dave replied. "You live with animals. Nasty, vile, _filthy _animals!" He covered his head with his arms.

Scott rolled his eyes. "Ugh! Fine." The dirt farmer stood up and grabbed a pipe from the cargo boxes. "Time to whack some cargo rats."

"You're not cooking them, right?" Courtney squirmed in her spot on the floor. "I'm hungry, but not _that hungry. _Plus, I have standards."

"Yeah, I doubt my trainer would like me eating vermin," Eva added.

Rodney sat up and rubbed his eyes, catching a glimpse of a tired Eva. His eyes spread wide and bubbles formed in his stomach as a smile took over his lips.

Eva noticed this bubbly stare and gazed at him, one brow raised. "What are you looking at?" she groaned.

"Muscles and... rats don't... excite flowers.. and-"

Eva punched Rodney in the mouth, sending him flying back in pain.

All Courtney could do was cringe.

* * *

**Confessional**

Courtney groans and plays with her hair. "I know it looks bad, but this team can work. All we have to do is make it far enough and we'll enter the merge together. Then it's everyone for themselves and _I'll _have a huge alliance. Well, you can cut Scott... Maybe."

(Static)

Rodney rubs his sore jaw. "Yeah, I think she's a dude. That ship has sailed."

(Static)

Dave looks at the camera and out the window. "This place is terrible. There are rats and roaches everywhere and my team is full of freaks. Maybe I should just vote myself off and stay at a fancy resort for the rest of the season. No! Sky must fall! But... is it worth it?!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Once Dawn, Owen, and Izzy had all fallen asleep, Scarlett approached a tired Noah as he read from his book.

"Noah? Can we have a talk?" she asked politely.

"Sure. Just keep it swift. I'm in the middle of the part where one character tries to convince the other to go along with her plan, only to have it backfire in the long run."

Scarlett raised an eyebrow. "Okay? I'm not sure how that relates to the topic at hand, but I digress. Have you considered our next elimination?"

"Yeah. Not really, no."

Scarlett smirked. "Well, I've put together a list, in order, of the way our team should handle it's losses. First is Dawn or Owen, depending on whom performs the worst in challenges. Then goes the other, then finally, Izzy, leaving us to rule our team with pure brainpower. Well? What do you think?"

Noah closed his book and looked at Scarlett. "I'm not voting out Owen and Izzy. Dawn's a maybe, but Owen and Izzy are off the hook."

"I know you've been with them for several seasons, but this is a game you are playing to win. Just think it over."

"Will do," Noah replied, returning to his page.

* * *

**Confessional**

Scarlett rolls her eyes. "Pathetic. Noah would keep our worst out of friendship? I cry foul. After faking a cat nap a few hours ago, I realize that my team is out to get me. Now, I must a move. But who could I find to be on my side of the numbers come our next loss?"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Geoff crept up on the snack bar as the others slept in first class. The party boy slowly peeked over the counter and grabbed a bag of Cheetos before returning to his seat. However, someone caught him before he could make his move.

"What are you doing?" Jasmine asked, grabbing Geoff by the collar.

"Nothing, dude!" he whispered loudly. "Just baggin' some chips, man."

"Oh," Jasmine said with a chuckle. "Sorry. I thought you might've been Jo."

"It's fine, Jasmine," he said, yawning. "So, how's it been for ya' so far?"

Jasmine leaned against the snack bar. "Pretty good. Lightning and Jo are annoying, but it's no biggie. We've won _two _challenges so far, so I'm hoping to make it three in a row."

"Yeah, that'd be sweet," said Geoff, throwing a few chips in his mouth. "Want some?"

"N'thanks," she said, pushing the bag away. "I always hated Cheetos."

"No way," Geoff gasped, letting the food fall from his mouth. "How can you not like these things?! They're, like, the ultimate party chip, dude."

"I just don't _party," _Jasmine snorted with a laugh. "I spend my time hiking and hunting and stuff. If I was like you, well, I'd be fat and drunk off my bum."

Geoff shrugged. "Eh. More for me."

* * *

**Confessional**

Jasmine sighs happily. "Its good to know that someone has your back in all this hot messiness. I just hope Geoff's lack of challenge ability doesn't get him voted out early, because he could be a valuable ally when I merge."

(Static)

Geoff crunches on more chips. "If I wasn't with Bridgette, I'd totally be all over her. Maybe we could double date sometime, y'know."

**End Confessional**

* * *

The sun finally rose and all the teens reported to the mess hall for breakfast. Once again, scrambled eggs greeted their bored faces as they took their seats.

Sky sat next to Brick and they started a casual chat over their athletic prowess. However, she was always looking over her shoulder to watch Dave, who was currently freaked out and sitting in the fetal position.

"Something wrong, fellow team mate?" Brick asked, scooping some eggs into his mouth soon after.

"It's just Dave. I kinda feel bad for him." Sky stirred her eggs around with her fork, pretending not to care.

"Just forget that sad sack," Jo scoffed. "He's worthless to his team. Heck, they'll probably vote him off next."

"Yeah, talk about a sha-failure at every level," Lightning chuckled to himself. "Dude ain't got no muscle on them arms."

"Hey, cut it out," Sky snapped half-heartedly. "Leave him alone."

"Why?" Jasmine asked suspiciously. "Do you _still _like the guy after he nearly killed you?"

"He didn't try to kill me," the Olympian sighed. "He's just crazy. And no, I don't like him anymore. I just want to forget him and keep winning these challenges."

"Amen," Geoff whooped, toasting the group with a piece of toast.

Owen reluctantly sat beside Izzy as she tore into her eggs using only her mouth. A blush came over his face and he anxiously scooted down the bench towards Noah.

"Little buddy, what I do?"

Noah sighed. "Would it kill you to tell me what you're trying to do here?"

"I'm trying to ask Izzy out again," the chubby boy whispered in Noah's ear. "But what if she says no. I don't want to be dumped again!"

Noah peered over Owen's shoulder. Izzy was trying to lick a piece of egg out of her nose. The bookworm turned to Owen. "Just be yourself. You dated her before, so you should know what to do? Plus, I'm pretty sure the _crazy_ would impede her judgment."

"Thanks, little buddy. I owe you. Hey, maybe I could hook you up with Scarlett or..."

"Excuse me?!" Scarlett gasped. "I don't _date_. That term is overused and is a terrible word to describe the attraction between two people. Plus, I'm already in a relationship."

"Really?" Dawn asked. "Your aura shows no signs of pink and red."

"It's a personal relationship. With my brain, of course."

Noah smiled. "Only you could be so vain, Scarlett."

"It's not vanity. It's pride in who I am."

"Yeah!" Izzy chanted with egg still in her nose. "Power to the crazies!"

* * *

**Confessional**

Izzy pulls the egg out of her nose and eats it. "She's so weird, but in a freaky cool way. If I wasn't already in a relationship, I'd totally (bleep) her (bleep) in the (bleep) with a (bleep)! Hmmm. I wonder if she'd be up for it."

(Static)

"Oh, Izzy," Owen fawns in his seat. "I wish I could be the egg in your nose. Was that too strong?"

**End Confessional**

* * *

As the campers finished up, Chris walked into the mess hall with a smirk on his face. "Greetings and good morn, players! Welcome to day three!"

"You make that sound like an accomplishment," Lightning scoffed. "The Lightning knew he would make it."

"Easy when you never lose," Courtney grumbled.

Chris walked to the center table and looked across the sixteen teenagers. "As you can see, the numbers are dwindling, which is why today's challenge is _vital _to your safety in this game."

"So it's a reward challenge?!" Sky beamed.

"Hold your over-excited horses, Sky. Today's challenge will not only grant you immunity, but a special advantage in the game. You're playing for reward _and_ immunity."

"And you're telling us at breakfast?" Eva asked. "Why not wait until the actual challenge?"

"Because, my muscle bound freak of nature, _this _is where you get off! _Hit_ _it_, _Chef_!"

Suddenly, the nearby doors flew open as if on cue and the mess hall was attacked by a vacuum of winds. Eggs and plates flew into the open sky. Even an unlucky intern was sucked into the blue abyss.

Noah immediately grabbed onto the table, but was sucked to the exit. Luckily, he was able to brace himself against the doorway. However, Owen's large body came right after and pushed them both outside.

Wasting no time, Lightning and Jo took the dive, followed by a screaming Sky, terrified Courtney and Dawn, unconscious Dave, ecstatic Geoff and Izzy, eager Jasmine and Scott, whimpering Brick, and willing Eva.

Chris approached the remaining cowards. "So?"

"No way," Rodney panicked. "I can't jump without a chute!"

"Agreed!" Scarlett shouted over the roar of the wind.

Chris grabbed both and tossed them outside, brushing his hands off when he was done. "See you at ground level! Hehe."

* * *

The players free fell through the sky, passing through clouds and leaving holes in the white fluff. The fields of green and yellow below grew closer and closer by the minute.

The contestants let out a final scream as they hit the ground, landing comfortably, albeit with a bit of an itch, in a massive haystack.

Noah popped out of the dead grass first and gasped for breath. "Great! It's Japan all over again."

Owen climbed out soon after. "I know, right? I'm still finding rice in my-"

"Zip it, _chubbs," _Jo coughed.

"Yeah. TMI," Courtney groaned, pulling twigs out of her silky hair.

Rodney burst out from behind Courtney and they both toppled over. When the dust cleared, Rodney opened his eyes to meet Courtney's. Also meeting were their lips. Courtney pushed the farmer off and gagged.

* * *

**Confessional**

Courtney shudders. "_That _was an _accident_! As if I'd actually kiss that buffoon."

(Static)

Rodney blushes and cries a single tear. "It's... _True love!"_ He blows his nose on his sleeve.

**End Confessional**

* * *

Scott pulled the giggling Rodney off and shoved him to the ground. "Get off! Watch those lips, man!"

"It's fine, Scott," Courtney groaned, pulling herself to her feet. "Just an accident."

"Yeah," Scott scoffed. "That's what you call it."

Brick, Lightning, and Sky were dragged out of the hay by Jasmine and Geoff. They joined Jo and watched the others collect themselves into their respective teams.

Scarlett and Dawn crawled out side by side and shot each other hostile stares until Owen put them both in a bear hug.

Dave erupted from the stack screaming about germs and cow poop and hand sanitizer. Eva shut him up with a hand to the mouth.

Chris hit the ground in a parachute and did a quick stretch as he spoke. "Nice landing, guys. Another second and you would've died. So, who's missing?"

"Just me!" came Izzy from inside the hay. She stuck her hand out and Noah helped her escape, falling over in the process. Izzy laughed. "Lets do that again!"

A collective "No!" exploded from the others.

* * *

Chris led the cast to an open field and held his arms out to his sides. In the background were cottages, barns, and windmills that dotted the landscape. It was quite a beautiful sight, so much in fact that Dawn cried a few tears of happiness.

* * *

**Confessional**

Dawn sighs happily. "Oh, nature. So untouched and pure."

**End Confessional**

* * *

"Welcome to Holland!" Chris exclaimed. "Located in the Netherlands, this territory is famous for it's gorgeous countryside and odd traditions. Also, it's the home of the Dutch, who _love _their dairy. In fact, less than _one _percent of them are lactose intolerant."

"Yeah," Courtney said sarcastically. "Great."

"For today's challenge, you'll be competing in a series of Holland-themed mini-challenges ala the Olympics. The rules are simple: you can't use the same player in back to back challenges and _everyone _on your team must participate at least once. Win the most of the seven games, and you're in first class with a reward, which will be a lifesaver in the next episode. Lose, and it's elimination time for one unlucky team where one unlucky loser will be the third person voted off. Excited?"

"Bring it!" Jasmine cheered, trying to pump up her team. Geoff and Sky joined in as Jo rolled her eyes across their sockets.

"We've got it in the bag," Courtney smirked. "Two farmboys is a huge advantage." She faced Rodney to see him still giddy over the kiss. She slowly moved away as Scott grinned at the bigger boy's failure.

Noah shrugged. "Myeh." Scarlett elbowed him in the side.

Chris clapped once. "Great. For your first challenge, you'll be performing a Dutch sport known as "fierljeppen."

Owen raised a hand. "Was that English? Or..."

"Yes. Yes it was," Noah deadpanned.

Chris pulled out a walkie-talkie and clicked a button. "Drop the poles, interns!"

Suddenly, the TD jumbo jet flew over once more and three slender poles fell from the sky. The long rods fell and perfectly planted themselves in the ground in front of each team.

"Think of it as pole-vaulting, but with no safety net or padding to stop your bones from breaking into thousands of chips," Chris explained.

"Chips?!" Owen gasped happily.

An annoyed Chris continued. "As I was saying, one member of each team will compete to see who can fly the farthest. Normally this sport involves water, but it will be much more hilarious to watch you struggle to climb these thirty foot poles and fling yourselves off. Best distance earns a point. Now, who's up?"

"I'll do it!" Sky said with bright enthusiasm. "Time to put my gymnastic skills to use."

"I can _kill this_," Izzy hissed seductively like a snake.

"I guess I'll go," Courtney said. "I don't trust any of these guys and Eva needs to be our last choice in case there's a harder challenge."

"We have the three," Chris said. "Please climb your poles and get ready to fly, girls."

Izzy flew up the rope like a monkey, surprising the other teams. Sky inched her way up bit by bit until she reached the top. Courtney climbed about halfway up until she slipped. Fortunately, she grabbed on with her arms and thick, powerful thighs to avoid crashing.

* * *

**Confessional**

Courtney grabs at her inner thighs. "Yep. That's crotchburn. Wait! You won't air this, will you?"

**End Confessional**

* * *

The girls took their places atop the poles and hung on as the wind blew strong, almost knocking them off.

"Sky, you go first!" Chris shouted from below.

Sky nodded and her team cheered.

"Just go for it, Sky!" Jasmine shouted.

Lightning scoffed. "Yeah, like a faker could do this."

Sky propped her body up above the top and leaned back... and forward... and back... and forward... and back... and forward... and let go! The momentum from the pole, along with a wind to her back, allowed Sky to soar a good twenty meters or so into the field. She stood up and laughed. "Beat that!"

"With pleasure," Courtney snarled. She followed Sky's tactic of building up momentum and let go. However, the wind had died down, exempting her from that extra push and downing her mere feet behind Sky.

"Yes!" Jasmine cheered. The Amazon grabbed Geoff's hand and they both whooped like party animals to Jo's disgust.

* * *

**Confessional**

Jo rolls her eyes. "I knew those two were up to something. Call me paranoid, but I know an alliance when I see one. And when I see an alliance..." She sticks her closed hands out and pretends to snap a stick in half with a grin on her face. "Ranger and Party Rock won't know what hit them."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Izzy perched at the top of the pole and closed her eyes, falling into a deep trance as she remained entirely still. She hummed very quietly to herself, feeling the wind blow through her hair and loose clothing. Izzy leaned forward and back again and again until the momentum was too strong. She felt herself fly through the air and crashed into a scrawny body. She opened her eyes to find herself on top of Noah, telling her that she'd flown _backwards._

_"_Whoops," Izzy chuckled. "I guess we lost."

Scarlett groaned and facepalmed. Chris just smiled.

"And Team Horsepower wins the first point! Team Vengeance and Team Evil, you might want to actually try next time."

Courtney returned to the group, still picking grass out of her hair. "But I was close! I _demand _a consolation point!"

"Denied," Chris yawned. "Now shut up. You're _really _annoying today for some reason. Well, on to challenge number two!"

The teams followed Chris down the mowed path as Courtney stood alone, pissed beyond belief. Rodney stopped to giggle near her and got a punch to the gut.

* * *

**Confessional**

Courtney lets out a hiss and rolls her eyes with venom. "How can there not be points for second? That's it! I'm calling my lawyer!" She pulls out a phone and types in a number before putting it to her ear. Angrily, she throws it down. "No signal!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

The teams arrived at the second challenge where three troughs were lined up side by side. In each was a load of oily mush. Owen and Scott licked their chops while everyone else just felt their stomachs churning.

Chris stepped behind the troughs. "For challenge number _two_, you'll be eating a national dish of the Netherlands: herring and onions. I need one player from each team that didn't play last time to step up and eat as much as you can in one minute. Whomever eats the most wins a point for their team."

Noah gave Owen a pat on the stomach. "You're up, chubby buddy."

Owen sniffled and grinned. "Like a dream come true."

Scott stepped up for his team without giving it a thought. No one seemed to object.

Lightning stepped forward and Jasmine pulled him back. "No way," she said. "Save it for another challenge."

"Oh, come on," the jock scoffed. "You just don't want me to show you up in a challenge."

"That's not even close to the real reason," the Aussie argued. "Geoff, can you go?"

Geoff ran forward to the troughs. "Sure thing, babe."

Lightning crossed his arms and pouted. He looked Jasmine in the eye and growled. "Lightning's comin' at you with _facts_. _Facts!_"

* * *

**Confessional**

Jo lets out an arrogant snort. "Lightning's doing all the work for me. Jasmine will want him gone and ignore the real threat: _me_. Give me a challenge already."

(Static)

Lightning stares into the camera with an intense gaze. "_Facts_!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Owen, Geoff, and Scott got down on their knees and Chris blew his horn. The trio of boys dug in and Owen took an early lead, eating a good fourth of his herring in under ten seconds. Right behind him was Scott, and lastly was Geoff. The party boy was eating at a super slow pace and coughing up half of what he got down due to the fishy taste. The seconds ticked by until Chris stopped them. Upon close inspection, which was unneeded of course, Owen had eaten nearly all of it, leading Scott by a good pound of fish. Geoff spit out what was left in his mouth and hung his head in shame.

"Team Evil scores a point!" Chris announced, surprising no one.

Owen, Scott, and Geoff returned to their teams where they were praised for their valiant efforts.

* * *

**Confessional**

Dawn shudders and gropes her stomach. "That was... difficult to watch, to say the least. I just hope the next challenges are more animal friendly and less violent.

(Static)

"_FACTS_!" Lightning screams up close.

**End Confessional**

* * *

At the third challenge site, the teams grouped around a small corral where Chef was waiting with a fishing rod with a piece of cake tied to the end of the line. Chris chuckled and faced the teens. "Bet this looks fun, huh? It's called _koekhappen_, or 'bite-the-cake' for the lot of you. The rules are simple. One person from each will be blindfolded and put in the ring. Using only your sense of smell and a bucket of luck, you'll be hunting to find the cake at the end of Chef's rod. First to find it and eat it wins a point."

Rodney snickered. "Would you mind, uh, rephrasing that last part?"

"What?" asked a clueless Chris. "All you do is bit the cake at the end of Chef's... Oh, I see. Yeah, we'll censor that. So, who's up?"

"Might as well do it," Noah shrugged indifferently. "At least I can do this one without _trying_."

"I'm up," Brick said.

"I'll go, guys," Dave chuckled nervously. "It's just cake, right? No germs. No bacteria. No _poop._"

Courtney shoved him forward. "Just go!"

Chris blindfolded each player and set them at opposite sides of the arena. "Alright. Everyone ready? Go!"

Right away, Chef lowered the cake into the center of the ring and the players on the side lines began screeching directions to the challengers. Hearing their screams, Chef raised The cake above their heads just as all three collided headfirst.

"Gah!" Dave shuddered as he bumped into Noah and Brick. "Please tell me you guys are clean!"

"Sure," Noah said sarcastically. "We just showered this morning and haven't been sweating all day. Not biggie, huh?"

Dave groaned and stumbled backwards into the fence.

Noah and Brick tried to listen to the groups' directions as Chef moved the cake left and right, but no one was able to catch it in time to get a bite. Brick reached up and to the right, forcing Chef to make evasive maneuvers to avoid a catch.

Noah kept on walking until he tripped over a root, planting his hands and arms in a pile of cow dung. He smelled the air around him and sighed. "Yep. Funny."

Dave ran forward and tripped over Noah as he got up. The wimp flew into the fence again and Chef leaned back to avoid getting hit, accidentally hitting Dave with the slice. The whiner gasped in excitement and grabbed the cake from the air, eating every last piece.

Chris threw his hands in the air. "And Dave wins for Team Vengeance! We have a three way tie!"

Courtney and her team cheered for Dave, pulling his blindfold off and giving him a series of high-fives. Noah and Brick walked back to their teams when Dave decided to be a little cocky.

"Guess who won? _Me_! Haha!"

Noah smirked and pressed his poop covered hand into Dave's face, causing him to freak out and faint. Team Evil laughed and Team Horsepower nearly died.

* * *

**Confessional**

Dave rocks back and forth in the fetal position, his teeth chattering. "I've seen... _things_."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Upon arriving at the fourth challenge, Geoff scratched himself in confusion.

"Are those... toilets?" he asked, noting the three orange potties on the ground.

"Right you are, Geoff," the host said. "Among the many activities of the Dutch is toilet bowl hurling, and boy is it fun. This challenge will require extreme physical strength to throw these toilets as far as possible."

"Eeewww," Sky groaned. "Sick!"

"Relax. They're not dirty... I think," Chris ended with a chuckle.

"So, we _throw _them?" Jo asked, her brow raised. "That's stupid."

"Easy for Lightning," came the megajock. "Let's roll!"

Rodney stepped forward and beat his chest with one hand. "Bring it, Chris. I'm ready!" He made a quick glance at Courtney and winked, causing her to shudder.

Scarlett stepped forward and Noah stopped her.

"Move," she said. "I can lift a hundred pound manchild, so a toilet bowl will be a synch. Trust me."

Noah reluctantly let her go and Dawn pulled him close.

"If we lose, you must vote for her."

"Uh, no," Noah said.

"But-"

"No buts about it."

Dawn let out a sad whine.

Lightning grabbed his toilet and tossed it with one hand, sending it flying into the field. Rodney spit on his hand and grabbed the rim. He swung it back and forth until he garnered enough momentum to fling it almost as far as Lightning's. Scarlett stepped up last and smirked.

"Just give up," Lightning scoffed. "The Lightning is unbeatable!"

"I assure you that I'm in this to win," Scarlett said with a wink. The evil nerd grinned and picked up the toilet. With one toss, she sent the bowl flying and it landed... ten feet out.

Scarlett slapped her forehead and groaned as Lightning thrusted his pelvis in her face.

* * *

**Confessional**

Scarlett rolls her eyes.

**End Confessional**

* * *

"Way to go," Noah sighed. "You did _great."_

"At least I tried," Scarlett sighed. "That's more than I can say for _some _people on this team."

Rodney returned to his team and cried over Courtney's shoulder. "I'm... _sorry!_ I've failed you!"

"Rodney? It's fine," the CIT said, pushing the boy off.

"Yeah, get off," Scott snorted at the larger boy. "That'll learn ya."

Courtney turned to Scott and crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing.

"What?" he shrugged.

Lightning received high-fives from everyone but Jasmine, who turned her cheek. The jock just smiled and shouted "Facts!" in her face. "Sha-_bam!_"

Chris stepped forward. "Alright. Team HP leads 2-1-1. We only have three challenges left, so according to the math, they're safe from the vote again. Teams other than HP, you'll need to win two challenges to get first class. Once again, it's a two way race for last."

* * *

**Confessional**

Lightning shows off his biceps. "That's how you win a challenge! Sha-bam!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

The teams arrived at the fifth site and saw three interns standing in the field. On the path were three medium sized milk cans and bottles of water, three long sticks, and some whitish rocks.

"Anyone ever made carbide cannons before?" Chris asked, waving a chunk of rock.

"Doesn't that make gas when mixed with water?" Scarlett asked.

"Gas?" Owen asked dramatically. "I can make gas!"

"No!" came the entire cast.

Owen sank back into the crowd with a sorrowful waddle.

Chris dropped the rock. "Here's how it works. To make a cannon, just throw these carbide rocks into the cans, fill with a little water, put the lid back on, ignite the gas through a hole in the back, and _boom_! Instant lid cannon. The interns will be holding large planks of wood which will function as targets. The best shot with the lid wins a point."

"Sounds like a party!" Geoff whooped. "I'll go!"

"Not so fast," Chris warned him. "No second chances until everyone else has played. Jasmine and Jo still need a shot."

Jasmine patted Geoff on the back. "It's fine. I'll do it."

"Alright," Courtney sighed. "That leaves you, Eva. Think you can do it?"

"Are you doubting me?!" Eva hissed, veins bulging from her neck.

"No! I just want to, uh, wish you luck."

Eva stepped forward, tracing two fingers back to Courtney's eyes.

* * *

**Confessional**

Eva takes a deep breath. "Alright. Let's see how my anger management skills have worked out so far."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Dawn, Jasmine, and Eva knelt beside their cans and got to work as the teams watched with a radiant intensity.

Courtney looked to Rodney and Dave. "Hey, guys. You up for booting, Eva if we lose?"

"I was thinking Scott," Rodney giggled.

"No," Courtney deadpanned. "Not Scott. Eva's just a ticking time bomb."

"Are you trying to make an alliance with me?" asked a suspicious Dave, rubbing his chin.

"Sure. If you're up for it."

"Deal, but only if you help me destroy Sky."

Courtney nodded, shaking his hand.

Rodney tried to shake as well and was reluctantly let in.

* * *

**Confessional**

Rodney giggles. "We touched! Like pollen to it's beautiful blossom, we will bloom together as one!"

(Static)

"Pathetic," Scott snorts. "I saw Rodney forming an alliance with her, and I'm not lettin' that slide. If I'm gonna be a millionaire and get her back, I'll need to get rid of lover boy."

**End Confessional**

* * *

The players finished their cannons and lined them up with the targets. Jasmine decided to light hers first and lit the end of her stick with a lighter. With caution, she lit the gas and the can exploded, sending a boom and shock wave across the field. Jasmine fell over with a laugh and stood up to see her lid embedded in the target, just inches from the center.

"And Jasmine scores a great shot!" Chris cheered, looking through his binoculars. "Dawn, you're up!"

Dawn was trembling as she lit her cannon, ducking down when the boom came. She stood up with wide eyes to see that she hit the target's rim, but couldn't beat Jasmine. She sighed and returned to her team.

Eva lit her cannon and didn't even flinch when the shockwaves came. The lid flew out and missed completely, making Eva's face red.

"And Jasmine wins! Eva loses terribly. What a fail, huh?"

* * *

**Confessional**

Eva shrugs. "So?" A few seconds pass and she explodes with rage, punching the camera and cracking the lense.

**End Confessional**

* * *

The players arrived at the next field and were handed large sacks. "Next up is a classic sack race!" Chris explained. "First across the field wins."

"What's the catch?" Sky asked suspiciously. "You _never _have plain old challenges like this."

"There's no catch. Trust me," Chris said, winking to the camera.

Jo, being the last member of her team not to play, grabbed the sack and lined up next to Izzy and Scott. They all climbed into their sacks and prepared their legs.

Chris shouted "Go!" and the three jumped off into the field. Scott immediately fell over and faceplanted in the mud, allowing Jo and Izzy to take the lead. Scott pulled himself up and swallowed the dirt. The redneck narrowed his eyes and stormed ahead, getting close enough to the girls to pass them up.

"Haha! Suckers!" he squealed deviously.

"Oh no you don't, dirtboy," Jo snarled, pushing ahead even faster.

Scott reached the halfway point and hit something hard. Mud and dirt flew sky high with the explosion and Scott was blown thirty feet into the air, screaming and spinning.

Chris lowered his binoculars and smiled to the camera. "Landmines. You gotta love 'em."

Izzy laughed crazily. "Wicked! I want to ride."

Noah screamed as loud as he could. "Izzy! Nooooooo!"

Another explosion happened and Izzy's loud cackle could be heard in the distance.

Jo flew over the finish line and ditched her sack, cheering and pumping a fist.

The three returned, Scott and Izzy covered in mud. Jo joined her team and was high-fived by Brick. Jasmine gave her a thumbs up.

Chris clapped for Team Horsepower. "Congrats, guys. You've hit four points, meaning you win. Again. You may return to the plane where frozen yogurt will we awaiting you. Your reward for winning will be announced at the next challenge."

Team Evil and Team Vengeance stood in a mix of shame and anger.

"As for you, it's time to compete in your final event as _teams _this time. Follow me!"

* * *

**Confessional**

Scarlett sighs and looks outside the window. "I really don't want to lose."

(Static)

"Losing twice in a row would suck," Courtney says arrogantly.

(Static)

"Facts, man. _Facts_!" Lightning says, throwing his hands down and making gang signs. "I'm the best sha-player ever!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

The two teams of five met outside the small town where Chris explained the last event.

"This is it. The final challenge. For this one, you'll scour the town flea market for the most valuable treasure. Best item, according to me, wins. Losers go to elimination."

"Sounds fascinating," Noah deadpanned. "I guess we'll just buy the stuff with _all that dough _you gave us, huh?"

"Yeah," Scott said, realizing something. "What do expect us to do? Steal something?"

"Whatever it takes to win."

"We could sell someone on our team," Rodney smirked, looking at Scott.

* * *

**Confessional**

"Yep," Scott sighs. "He's gotta go."

(Static)

"This challenge should be easy," Dave says. "All we have to do is find some loot. No poop or bugs or mud. Just some treasure."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Scarlett slowly peeked over a fruit stand to spy on a local shop owner. The tall, bearded man handed an old woman an antique clock. They shook hands and went their separate ways.

"Alright," Scarlett said. "He has a gold watch in his possession. One of us will need to distract him while the others steal the item. Owen and Noah, I think you'll be _fine _distractions."

"Oh yeah!" Owen whooped. "Come on little buddy. Let's move."

Noah was hoisted into the air and dragged into street as Scarlett and the other girls moved in the shadows.

* * *

Courtney walked up to the tall, shaven man. "Hey, buddy. What's cheap?"

"Ah," he said in joyful tone. "You have no money?"

"We're broke, man," whined an impatient Scott. "We're out of it."

"Really?" said the man with a smile. "Well, I'm sorry, odd children whom I've never seen before. No money means no purchase."

"Great," Eva said. "Just great."

"Well..." the man teased. "There's _one _form of payment I'd accept too..."

* * *

Owen and Noah fistbumped and stood back to back as the shopkeeper stared at them as if they had two heads. Suddenly, the boys stepped forward and began to do the robot, twisting their arms and legs to Owen's a Cappella techno beat. Owen and Noah faced the disturbed man and the fat boy began to pelvic thrust in his direction. The man became lost in the rhythm of Owen's crotch and moved along with the beat as Noah stopped to give Owen a disturbed look.

Behind the counter, Scarlett reached underneath the table and grabbed the watch, retreating to Dawn and Izzy as quick as possible.

Noah saw the girls leave and flicked Owen. Both boys ran off, leaving the man stunned beyond belief. He looked down to see that his watch was gone and growled angrily.

* * *

**Confessional**

Owen and Noah are sitting in the bathroom together. The bookworm gives his friend an odd stare. "Never do that again. Ever."

"Sorry, buddy," Owen chuckles.

**End Confessional**

* * *

Courtney cleared her throat and took a deep breath. She opened her mouth and began to sway back and forth.

"_Kleine kindjes moeten slapen gaan_

_Als de sterren hoog aan de hemel staan_

_Kleine kindjes moeten slapen gaan_

_Als de klokjes zeven uur zal slaan."_

She ended with a bow and the man clapped.

"I loved it. That was always my favorite nursery rhyme, dear girl."

"Yeah, great," Courtney said. "Took me twenty tries to get that last line, but it was worth it. Item please!"

She held out her hand and the man dropped an old, beat up belt buckle into her palm. "There," he said, pointing to Scott. "That _pauper _could use it."

Scott pulled up his loose pants and shrugged. "We got the stupid thing. Let's just go, before I start hating the Dutch more than Rodney."

* * *

Team Evil returned first and presented Chris with a gold watch.

"Nice find," the host said. "That's a keeper."

Team Vengeance arrived soon after and handed Chris the buckle.

"Wow. Really?" he laughed. "That's it?"

"I sang a song for it," Courtney sighed angrily. "A very _annoying _song to learn, I might add."

"Well, it doesn't matter, because the winners are Team _Evil_!"

Scarlett smirked. Noah was grabbed by a cheering Owen and tossed around like a ragdoll. Izzy and Dawn high-fived.

"Not so fast!" came a thick, Dutch voice. Out of nowhere, the tall, bearded man grabbed the stolen watch and shoved it into his pocket. "_Klootzaks," _he snarled, kicking Owen in the balls and storming off into town.

"And with that shocking turn of events, Team Evil failed to complete the challenge, which means, they lose again! Team Vengeance wins!"

Courtney sighed in relief as Rodney tried to hug her. Scott and Eva smirked and Dave just smiled.

* * *

**Confessional**

"So close," Noah groans. "Why did Scarlett have to _steal it?_"

(Static)

Scarlett crosses her arms. "If all goes to plan, then Dawn is out tonight. She's too weak for the team and poses quite a threat to my plans if she can sway the others to vote me out."

(Static)

Dawn lets out a sad sigh as she lets a snail crawl on her finger. "If I'm to stay, I'll need to sway Noah and either Izzy or Owen. Hopefully all of them. I just hope Scarlett hasn't infected them with her dark aura."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Team Evil sat in the elimination room as Chris pulled out four bags of peanuts. Scarlett stared at Dawn with a smile as Dawn looked to Noah and his friends.

"Some loss, huh?" Chris taunted. "So close to winning, if only Scarlett hadn't doomed you with her plan to steal that watch."

"It was the best we could do with no money," Scarlett scoffed. "You have to respect our cunning."

"Not really. Noah, what do you have to say about this vote?"

Noah looked at Dawn with a plain face. "I just want to say that this vote is for the better of the team, not personal bias. Also, I was tired and didn't want to think about it."

"Fair enough. Owen?"

"I did my part today. I'm feeling awesome."

"And you don't see yourself getting any votes?"

"Nope," Owen said with glee.

"Dawn?"

"I know Scarlett has it out for me. She's a monster, and I just want you all to see that."

"It was on TV," Noah sighed. "We _all _know she's evil."

Dawn looked Noah in the eye. "And that's why she has to go!"

Scarlett raised a hand. "I just want to say that my team is well rounded, albeit very dysfunctional. My dislike of Dawn is rooted in her lack of ability, not her beliefs and attitude towards me."

"Interesting," Chris chimed in. "Anyways, the bags go to..."

"..."

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"Noah!"

The bookworm caught the bag and held it in his lap.

"..."

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"Izzy!"

Izzy caught the bag in her mouth and shredded it apart, spilling nuts all over Scarlett and Dawn below her.

"..."

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"Owen!"

The giant inhaled the peanuts from his bag like a vacuum cleaner, complete with sound effects from the editors.

"And lastly, with only two votes to three..."

Scarlett looked sure, yet suspicious of the second vote against her, and Dawn looked nervous, yet surprisingly calm.

"..."

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"Scarlett."

Dawn stood up and sighed. "Early out again? Disappointing." She faced her former team of four. "Noah, Owen, and Izzy, I call upon you to rally against the menace on your team. If you are ever to win, you must slay her immediately. Do not let her spell of sincerity and guise of politeness fool you. She's a monster, and you, her toys. I wish you all the best of luck in defeating this radiant demon." She ended with a nod and dropped out of the plane backwards without a chute.

"That was... weird," Chris said, shuddering on the last word.

* * *

**Confessional**

"Two votes?" Scarlett growls. "_Two. _Someoneflipped to her side... But who?! This requires an investigation and-"

Chris bursts into the confessional. "Who _did _vote for her?! Who's still on her side?! And most importantly... Will I ever get my hottub working?!"

Scarlett clears her throat with an "ahem."

Chris sighs and continues in a monotonous voice. "Find out next time on Total Drama World Tour: Round Trip."

**End Confessional**

* * *

**The Votes**

Dawn: 3

Scarlett: 2

**Eliminated: Max, Zoey, Dawn**

**Team Horsepower: Jasmine, Jo, Brick, Lightning, Sky, Geoff**

**Team Vengeance: Courtney, Dave, Scott, Rodney, Eva**

**Team Evil: Scarlett, Noah, Izzy, Owen**

* * *

**Drop of Shame: Dawn**

Dawn hit the top of the cottage with a light step as she levitated down. She brushed the hair out of her eyes and climbed down to the door. One knock, and a man in farm clothes greeted her with a gasp.

"Greetings, sir. May I stay for the night? I assure you it won't be trouble."

The man turned his head back inside. "Honey, get the broom! Another elf is on our porch!"

"Another elf?! Again?!" came a woman.

"Yeah! Get the broom!"

Dawn ran off the porch as the man followed behind her whacking at her head. Once she was in the woods, the man stopped and posed like a superhero. "Another day saved from the elvish takeover! Pointy eared freaks..."

**End Drop of Shame: Dawn**

* * *

**Reasoning: **Dawn was never planned to go far, even though I wanted her too. With so many stronger players in the game, there's no way she'd make it farther than maybe episode 5 if she was lucky. I originally put her on Team Vengeance to end her Scott thing, but that can always be resolved in other ways that will show up sooner or later. Sorry to all Dawn and Nawn fans. I liked her too and ship Nawn to no end, but I didn't want to be predictable and boot her post-merge like most writers tend to do.

* * *

**~A/N~ Thanks for reading, everyone. Only one more elimination until our first bonus chapter. I hope you'll all like the idea I have in mind, because it's not as glamorous as Aftermaths (which I hate writing and watching) and not just cheap filler with no value to the plot. See you next time! Foreseer... out!**

**Review Replies:**

**The Abysswalker: Thanks for the deep review. I love when reviewers discuss every character. About the Scarlett thing, she was faking her sleeping. Yes, I'm excited for RR, but my hopes are low after the push back and lack of character reveals.**

**JojiMC: Thanks again. Glad to hear that my best Noah is back too. And Geoff finally got more lines! Hooray! :D**

**Knifez: Thanks. It seems like a hit a few of your wishes and predictions, both good and bad. Glad to hear about Rodney. As you can see, he's more a pain magnet in this story, so hopefully that's better than babbling like a moron. Oh, yeah. TD: Avengeance... I liked it until I had to wait years between updates which completely killed the story. It also had Bawn. Ugh. :/**

**DarkQueenOfWonderland: Yeah, Zoey was a scapegoat fodder. I needed a hated character to get rid of, and she and Max fit the bill.**

**Creaturemaster: The thing about Courtney is that she's not just whiny and bitter, but a strategist who wants to win. So any form of losing kills her inside.**

**Sarcasm Is A Habit: Summer vacation is definitely helping. I'll try to get updates out every two or three weeks going into the next three months. Thanks for the review btw.**

**PizzaTheBomb: Thanks. Courtney isn't the main villain. There isn't really a single antagonist, but just a few that will come and go as the season progresses. Some might be a little unexpected.**


	5. Can You-n Feel the Burn?

**~A/N~ I'd like to apologize for how predictable the vote was last time. So far, the focus has been on a select few characters and you know who needed to go. Team Evil has been an early source of plot, meaning most of the screen time has been with them. However, that's about to change now that the fodder is gone. ;)**

**Summer vacation is underway and I'm trying to pump out these episodes at least twice a month among a little of my other story "Beyond the Verge" as it begins its second act. If you haven't checked it out, I'd highly recommend it if you're a big sci-fi fan. ;)**

**I'd also like to know which team is currently your favorite. I won't have a poll up for this, so leave it in your review if you choose to do so. **

**Without further ado, enjoy!**

* * *

_Episode 5: Can You-n Feel the Burn?_

* * *

"Last time on Total Drama World Tour: Round Trip, our teams took a fun trip to rural Holland. Here, they dined on a local delicacy, exploded cans, became burglars, and even got a taste of the field. *Cough*Dave*Cough* Team Horsepower's brawny members led the pack once again, winning a frozen yogurt treat and a huge advantage in our next challenge. Team Vengeance began to crack when Rodney and Scott's rivalry ignited over a carefully kiss, leaving Courtney to form an alliance with Dave and Rodney to stay on top. And once again, Team Evil hit the elimination room where Dawn was sent packing because of her worthlessness in challenges and pushy campaign to boot the wicked Scarlett. With fifteen remaining, will the power finally shift? Will Scarlett find a way to keep her team together? Will Rodney finally get to second base? Find out now on Total Drama... World Tour... Round Trip!"

(Theme song plays)

* * *

Eva awoke in economy class to find the others asleep on the creaky wooden benches. The cargo above her rattled with an annoying buzz. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep, only to be shocked awake by Dave's whiny crying.

* * *

**Confessional**

Eva groans and leans back. "That guy is worthless. All he does is complain about his girlfriend and cry. The next time we lose, I hope he goes home. Even _Rodney_ is more useful."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Sky got up from her reclining seat in first class and did a few stretches in place. Jasmine let out a yawn and joined her.

"So, how ya' been? Dave still bothering you?"

"No," Sky sighed, cracking her back. "He hasn't looked at me in a while, so I _guess _he's over it."

"Not likely," Jo said from her seat. "There's no way that crybaby is done."

"I don't know," Brick said. "Maybe he's just being passive. That's what I'd do if my girlfriend lied to me over two weeks, led me on, dumped me, and then took no blame whatsoever for her actions."

* * *

**Confessional**

Sky covers her face. "Seriously? Even Brick, the nicest guy on the team, is beating me up over that?! For the last and final time, _it's not my fault! _Dave didn't want to hear the 'but' and got what he deserved."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Noah and Owen were sifting through the cargo boxes and Izzy poked at a sleeping Scarlett. The chubby boy pulled out a bowling ball and laughed.

"Hey, Noah! Wouldn't it funny to drop this out the plane and see where it lands?"

"Yes, let's be murderers," Noah deadpanned, taking the ball away. "We could use it for bowling though, but we'd need some pins, or something like them."

Owen pulled out a set of three translucent objects with flared bases and ribbed shafts. "Liiike these?"

Noah chuckled as Owen just scratched his head.

* * *

**Confessional**

Owen holds the object in his hand and giggles. "Hehe. This thing is so cool. It even came with some bottles of jelly!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

The players gathered in the mess hall once again for their breakfast. This time, however, the dish was pancakes instead of eggs, much to the delight of Owen.

The tubby boy set the mysterious, phallic object on the table and ate up. Scarlett looked over and gasped in disgust.

"You brought _that _to breakfast?! Get rid of it._ Now._"

Owen juggled it in his hands and wiggled it in her face. Scarlett grabbed the thing and tossed it into the nearby trash can. Owen let out a sad sob and went back to eating.

"Alright. Strategy time," Scarlett said, leaning over to the others. "There are four of us left, so we must find a way to avoid elimination. My suggestion? Sabotage."

"Sounds fun!" Izzy laughed. "Did you know that I can make a bomb out of a clothes hanger and toothpicks? Yeah, I totally didn't bomb a third world country with it."

"We're not sabotaging anyone," Owen said in defiance. "I've been in this situation before and it's never a good idea." He tapped Noah on the shoulder. "Vouch for me, little buddy."

"Whatever works," the egghead mumbled through his food.

* * *

Brick and Jo raced to the table and fought for their favorite seat. At the last minute, Brick slid out and tripped Jo by accident. He landed on the bench and pumped his fist. "Yes! Score for MacArthur."

"Hey," Jo said with venom. "You tripped me!"

"You tripped me on the bus. I'd call that karma."

"Touche," Jo said, shooting him finger pistols and taking the seat next to him.

Geoff, Jasmine, and Sky joined on the opposite side and Lightning sat by Jo.

* * *

Courtney, Dave, and Rodney sat down and dug right in, letting not a crumb go to waste.

"So..." Scott said, having already finished his meal. "How'd you sleep, Courtney?"

"I was about to ask her that!" Rodney shouted, glaring at his rival with hatred.

Courtney dropped her fork and rolled her eyes. "Better than I did in the cargo hold, but with your whining, I can hardly call it a full night's rest."

"I never get tired," Eva grunted. "I've worked out so hard that my blood is half adrenaline."

"Sounds cool," Dave mumbled, eyeing Sky from across the room.

Eva noticed and punched Dave in the arm. "Seriously? Forget that liar and focus on winning."

"You've never had your heart broken," Dave sobbed to the burly chick.

"Yes I have," she said in a matter-of-fact tone. "I dated this body builder named Ryan last year. Big, tough dude. Turned out he was using roids, so I dumped him... with my fist. Heard he got a girl, like, two days after that. Worst guy ever."

"At least you ended the relationship yourself," Scott snorted. "You knew when to get out. I respect that."

"Thanks."

"Yeah, I'm fine with the single life," the dirt farmer yawned, stretching his arms.

Courtney just rolled her eyes again.

* * *

**Confessional**

Scott sighs as he whittles away on a piece of wood. "Yeah, I still got it for her. Sure, she lied to my face and called me a rat, but a gamer's gotta respect strategy when he sees it. Also, she's pretty."

(Static)

Rodney lets out a small giggle. "Scott's such a loser. I've never known the single life. Now that Courtney and I have been going strong for less than a day, we're _never _breaking up."

**End Confessional**

* * *

The Total Drama Jumbo Jet landed and the remaining teens stumbled down the inflatable ramp that dropped them on hard, rust colored rock. As they stood up, they found themselves surrounded by desert shrubs and boulders with the occasional cactus squeezed between rocks. The teams formed as Chris greeted them from the open doorway.

"Teams, welcome to Arizona! Particularly, the Grand Canyon! Today's challenge is a footrace through twenty miles of sweat, blood, dirt, and heat to win immunity. When I blow my whistle, you'll head out to the rising sun until you find the pack-mule that will carry your survival supplies along the way. Supplied for you are two pounds of trail mix, a flint for starting fire, three gallons of water, a pocket knife, and a very small bottle of sunscreen. The first two teams to reach the finish line win immunity." Chris reached behind himself and grabbed three scrolls of paper. He tossed them to the ground where Courtney, Jo, and Noah caught them for their respective teams. "These are your maps," Chris continued. "They show where the finish line is, but getting there is a bit of mystery as some details were 'accidentally' left out. Makes it more fun for the viewer when you stumble around like dimwits."

Jo scoffed and stuffed the map into her sweatpants. "That's great, but what about that advantage your promised us last time?! Don't try and cheat me, McLean!"

"Relax," Chris said, throwing her a small metal locket. "You guys get a compass to use with your map. With this, you'll be able to stay in the right direction all the way to first class... again."

"Not bad," Brick said. "Back in training, my team and I won three wilderness survival patches in a row."

"Awesome," Jasmine said. "Always nice to have a fellow wilderness expert around."

Brick smiled in pride and Jo gave Jasmine a look that implied "Back off. Now."

Chris blew his whistle and the teams ran off into the desert. Chef came to the door next to Chris and tapped him on the shoulder.

"What? I'm busy watching the kids trek into their impending doom."

"What kind of map did you give them kids exactly?"

"I hilariously _useless _one."

"Nice move."

Chris and Chef joined together in a snickering riot and slammed the door behind them.

* * *

Team Horsepower raced into first place out of the gate, leaving Team Vengeance trailing right behind them. Team Evil was left in the dust as Owen struggled to pick up the pace.

"Can't... Go on! Leave my corpse for the vultures!" the chubby teen screamed dramatically.

"It's been less than a minute, dude," Noah deadpanned. "This is pathetic."

Scarlett shouted from ahead. "Hurry up!"

Noah leaned next to Owen and whispered into his ear. "There's trailmix at the start line. Remember?"

Owen took a deep breath and stood up. He grabbed a shocked Noah and tucked him under his sweaty armpit before charging off into the wasteland.

* * *

Courtney and Eva led their team closer and closer to the lead. Scott, Rodney and Dave took turns tripping over rocks and crashing into cacti while the girls leapt over them flawlessly.

"What's the plan?" Dave asked Courtney through tired gasps.

"Win," she replied sternly. "We are _not _going to elimination again."

"Yeah!" Eva roared, shaking Dave to the core.

* * *

**Confessional**

Dave looks to the side as he shivers. "I can still feel it in my bones. I feel really bad for that Ryan guy. I mean, who would date someone _that _loud?!"

(Static)

"I work out a lot," Eva says, smirking. "So much actually that I produce an unusual amount of testosterone. Makes my voice deeper, y'know."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Team Horsepower arrived at a steep slope. Below them were three pack mules, each carrying bags over their backs. Jasmine, Jo, and Lightning slid down the hill and got to work on untieing the rope around their mule's neck. Geoff, Sky, and Brick joined them at the bottom of the slope and the cadet opened the map.

"Where we going?!" Lightning asked, looking over Brick's shoulder.

Brick just stood there, confused. "Uh..."

Jasmine finished untieing the rope and led the mule as she hurried to Brick's side. Upon inspecting the map, she groaned. Instead of accurately drawn paths, there was a vertical assortment of pictures and letters.

"Chris calls this a map?!" Jo snapped. "It's useless!"

"I think these pictures are landmarks," Brick suggested, pointing out a tall cactus, an arch of rock, a snakey shape, and other images. "And the letters... Direction?"

"Wow," Jasmine chuckled. "Nice one."

"Lightning could've figured that out," the jock scoffed, bitterly kicking some loose rocks.

"Well, you didn't," Jasmine said, tugging the mule forward. "Let's go! Where's the first landmark?"

"Uh, north," Brick said, showing the map to the Australian again with the compass in hand. "Find a tall cactus."

Team Horsepower ran off into the canyon as Team Vengeance arrived. Courtney and Eva slid down the hill with no problems. Scott slipped over the side and screamed as he was pummeled by sharp rocks, much to Rodney's enjoyment.

"Let's move, guy," the big farmboy said, grabbing Dave and jumping over the edge.

Eva snapped through the rope and joined Courtney in opening the map. Right away, Courtney figured out the format and looked for the sun.

"That way," she said, pointing north. "The sun rose in the east, so we go this way until we find..." She looked at the map again. "A cactus. A tall cactus."

Rodney went goo-goo again and dreamily stared at her. "So... smart... and cactus... kiss..."

"Oh, grow up," Eva grunted, yanking Rodney along as the team ran into the canyon, trying to take the lead.

* * *

**Confessional**

"Last time I did a World Tour, I was always in first class," Courtney gripes. "So far, we've lost every challenge. I'm _sick _of it! Time to push ourselves to the limit."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Scarlett and Izzy waited next to the pack mule, waiting for Owen and Noah to show up. Izzy had gnawed through the rope and was speaking mule into the animal's ear as Scarlett impatiently tapped her foot.

"What's taking them so long?" Scarlett mumbled angrily. "We're ten minutes into last place."

Noah stumbled down the hill as if on cue. "Here, Owen will be here shortly. He had to take a leak and I was _not _staying to keep company."

"So you left him in the desert?!" Scarlett snapped, grabbing her hair.

"The giant scorpions will devour his delicious, plump butt!" Izzy screamed in a blind panic. She grabbed Noah by the collar and began to shake him around until Owen fell over the slope with a "Woo-hoo!"

The fat guy hit the rock and licked his chops. "Alright, let's dig in to that _mix!"_

Scarlett slapped Owen across the face. "No! We need to move immediately. We're in last place... _again_."

"Well, can I eat on the road?" Owen asked with a goofy grin.

* * *

**Confessional**

Owen has a black eye, which he tries to cover up. "Well, that was a bad suggestion. Maybe she just needed to eat something."

**End Confessional**

* * *

An hour passed and the sun was directly above Team Horsepower. Sweat trickled down their sore bodies as they pushed on, refusing to let up for fear of losing their lead over the others.

Geoff and Jasmine were enjoying the shade cast by their hats, but Sky, Jo, Brick, and Lightning were turning red from exhaustion. Wet hair was stuck to their foreheads and their skin was beginning to roast.

"Hey, dude," Geoff said to Lightning. "Need some screen, bro?"

"Lightning would like that," he replied.

Geoff reached into the bag on the mule's back and pulled out a small tube of sunscreen. There wasn't too much in the bottle, enough for two people if used conservatively. The party dude squeezed a dab into his buddy's hand and the jock rubbed it behind his knees.

"Always the knee-bows," he chuckled.

"Kneebows?" asked a puzzled Geoff.

"It's not a word," Jo said. "But he's right... for once. _Always_ the kneebows."

Geoff shrugged and went back to walking at a leisurely pace.

* * *

**Confessional**

Geoff wipes dirt off his hat and puts it back on his head. "Yeah, Lightning's a cool dude, man. So far, I like the team. Not just 'cause we're winners every time, but because my lady Jasmine and I really hit it off. I'd take her to the finale any day."

(Static)

Lightning smirks and rubs his white hair, looking at himself in the mirror. "Geoff's my kind of guy. Strong, cool, team player. But this is for a cool mil, so if I have to ditch his butt, I'd do it in a heartbeat. Lightning: Master of Strategy! Sha-bam!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Courtney walked forward as Eva and Rodney tugged the mule along. Dave and Scott just hung out alone to the side.

The CIT twisted the map around diagonally, vertically, horizontally, upside down, rightside up, every way possible. "I _really _hope we're going the right way. I haven't seen mule tracks in ten minutes. You don't think they climbed up somewhere, did you?"

"I'm sure you just didn't seem them," Dave sighed, wiping the salty liquid from his cheeks. "The rocks are pretty hard, so I don't really think tracks will show."

"He's right," Scott said. "Back on the farm, I hunt wild game. No matter what it is, it won't leave tracks on shallow, patchy sand."

"Was that sarcasm?" Courtney asked, peeking up from her map to look for the tall cactus.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Dave stumbled to the front of the pack and took a swig from his water bottle. "I wonder what place we're in. I hope we're not last. Losing to _Sky _again would be terrible."

"Dude, we're not in last," Eva said, trying to calm his anger. "Noah's team was way behind us. I'd say we're in second."

"Again?" Rodney groaned with disdain. "I hate second. At least with last, we get to vote out someone we hate."

"Are you _praying _for last?!" Courtney gasped, rolling up the map and glaring at Rodney with striking venom.

Rodney panicked, waving his hands around his chest and trying to form a cohesive sentence. "N-no, I was j-just-"

"Drop it," Scott sneered. "Just remember that you're next when we lose."

"Why?!"

"You're annoying," Courtney sighed in disdain.

Rodney grabbed his chest and felt his heart tear in two. "Gahhh..."

Eva looked at the mad lover with her brow raised. "Just... wow."

* * *

**Confessional**

Eva snorts. "Yeah, he's annoying. But he's muscle. Dumb muscle that we need. Personally, I'd vote for Dave for being twice as annoying. Seriously. He's pathetic."

(Static)

Rodney weeps his eyes out, covering his face. "My looooooovvvvvveee! Why?!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Team Evil, still in last place, was starting to slow even more as Owen stopped to inspect a small cactus. Noah looked over his buddy's shoulder and raised his brow.

"Dude, you not thinking about eating that, are you?"

"Maybe," said a conflicted Owen. "Scarlett won't let us drink or eat anything until the first marker. I'm just so thirsty."

"Me too, but we don't know what that cactus does. I'd leave it be, or you could be painting the rocks with your butt, dude."

Owen sniffed the plant and giggled. "Oh my! It smells sweet. Noah, get the knife."

Noah rolled his eyes and looked up to find Scarlett and Izzy standing over him, the former sneering.

"What are you doing?" she hissed. "We're already in last."

"We found a cactus," Owen said. "We could drink the water inside."

"Or you could drink the water we have... conservatively, I might add."

Owen grabbed a bottle from their bag and chugged until it was all gone. He licked his lips and laughed. "Oh yeah! That hit the spot." Then he grabbed the knife and flew to the plant, cutting it in half and slurping the insides out.

Scarlett just facepalmed and Izzy joined in with Owen. Noah comforted his fellow nerd.

"Don't worry. If we're lucky, it's all for reward."

"One can hope."

* * *

**Confessional**

Owen licks his lips seductively. "Oh, that cactus juice was yummy! Too bad there wasn't any more." His stomach begins to rumble and he lets out a loud fart. "Second thought? Maybe not!"

(Static)

Scarlett opens the door, takes a sniff, and slams it shut.

**End Confessional**

* * *

Jasmine looked up at the tall, spiny cactus with a grin on her sweaty face. Behind the green tower were two paths through the canyon, one to the north and one to the east. "I think this is it. Brick?"

Brick scanned the "map" and gave the team captain a thumbs up. "Bingo, ma'am."

"Now what?" Sky asked. "What's the next landmark?"

Brick held the map out for everyone to see. "The arch, which is..." Brick looked at the compass. "That way!" Brick pointed to the eastern path.

"Nice," Jo smirked. "I bet those losers behind us won't even be able to tell direction."

"There was no way to get messed up on the first leg," Geoff added. "Unless, you know, you suck with directions. We should get moving."

"Agreed," Jasmine said with a swift nod.

* * *

"This way!" Scott exclaimed, pointing to the northern path.

"How can you tell?" Courtney asked, showing him the map. "The map says 'East,' but how can you tell what's east? The sun is right above us and the path has twisted so much."

"Because I have wicked coordination," Scott bragged, walking forward and smacking into the cactus. "Ahhhhhhh!"

Courtney rolled her eyes and pulled the mule down the northern path.

* * *

**Confessional**

Chris sits calmly with a smile on his face. "For those of you watching at home, each path leads to the same place, but the northern path will take twice as long to traverse. That is all."

He takes a sniff and gags. "Ugh! _Owen_!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

An hour passed and Team Evil reached the first landmark. Owen reached out to knife the cactus and Noah wagged his finger. The fat boy reluctantly took back his hand.

"Alright, we need to go east," Scarlett told the trio.

Noah sighed. "And that would be?"

"There!" Izzy pointer to the eastern path. "I can tell because of my magnetic connection to the planet. Back when I was in the army as a super solider, I had a chip planted in my brain. I can totally feel how fast the Earth's moving and stuff."

"Wonderful," Scarlett said, forcing a smile. "Now let's take this _seriously _before we fall even further behind."

"She's right though," Noah added. "Well, not about the chip. I think? But that's east for sure."

Scarlett looked up, holding her hand to the sky. She gauged the distance from the sun to her palm and shrugged. "You were right. About the direction at least. Izzy, that was ridicule-worthy."

* * *

**Confessional**

Izzy scratches the back of her head and taps against something metal. A beeping sound begins to echo through the confessional and Izzy shudders with a laugh.

**End Confessional**

* * *

Team Horsepower approached the arch as the sun fell behind the canyon walls. The ring was a mix of orange and yellow and brown, reaching across a thirty foot expanse. On the other side of the ring was a steep drop off with a small strip of rock to walk on along the side of the the canyon wall. To the left of the arch was a skinny pathway leading into the canyon wall.

"That looks... interesting," Geoff gulped. "What now?"

Brick peeked at the map. "Well, the map says to go west, but I don't know if we should try and cross this."

"Relax, W_et Willie_," Jo scoffed, pushing him out of the way. "We're all athletically gifted. We can make it just fine. Watch and learn."

Jo stepped forward and the thin ledge held up. She inched her way across, foot by foot, remaining entirely calm with her back pressed against the wall.

"I think she's overzealous," Jasmine said with no enthusiasm. "She's not going to make it."

"Could you?" Sky asked.

"Maybe. But I don't know if we should risk it. We're already in the lead, so if we need to take a different path to _not _die, then so be it."

"We don't even know if that path leads anywhere," Lightning said with an eye roll. Th jock grabbed the map from a Brick. "We need to cross this thing to claim sha-victory, and you ain't holdin' the Lightning back."

Lightning tossed the map and jumped onto the ledge.

Jo felt the ground shake and sneered at the mega jock. "Hey, watch it! One at a time!"

"Don't get yo' manties in a knot, Jo! You just want to be the brave one! The hero!"

"No, I'm trying to win while proving a point."

"That you're the best?"

"No!" Jo exclaimed.

Jasmine turned to Sky and Geoff. "Wanna take the other path? See where that goes?"

Geoff gave her two thumbs up. "You bet, dudette."

"Anything to get away from that hot mess," Sky added.

Brick was left between two groups, hut reluctantly chose to go with Jasmine through the small crevice, dragging the mule behind him.

* * *

**Confessional**

Jasmine holds her hands out to her sides like she's weighing two things. "Deadly abyss or tight space? For once, I'm going with the tight space."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Jo hit the opposite cliff face and pumped a fist in excitement. "Told you it could-" All she could see was Lightning strutting across the abyss. The others were already gone. "Wow. What a bunch of buzzkills."

Lightning hit a loose rock and the thin pathway crumbled behind him in a burst of dust. The jock rushed across the last few meters and collapsed on the safe ground before laughing. "Ha! Master of strategy strikes again!"

"But what if _our_ team can't make it across? Huh, L_ight-headed? Huh?"_

Lightning brought himself to his feet and brushed off the dust. "Then I'll use my muscles to carry them across."

"Across a ten foot gap? Way to use your head."

"I know! The other teams will never catch up."

Jo just rolled her eyes and sat down on the cliff, throwing rocks into the vibrant abyss below.

* * *

Team Vengeance arrived at the second landmark. Upon noticing the massive gap in the quicker pathway, they immediately turned to the map again.

"Maybe we should take the inland path?" Scott suggested. "I got that feeling again."

"You mean the feeling that got us stuck on the wrong path before?" Courtney asked sarcastically.

"This time it's more than feeling."

"Uh, obviously," said Dave, eating a handful of trailmix. "That's the only way _to _go."

"I can jump across," Scott bragged. "Back on the farm, we jump off the barn all the time. Got calves like a bull. Get it? Because they're cows!"

Rodney cringed and stood next to Courtney. "I say we follow the leader. She's never wrong."

Courtney fluttered her curves with a smile. "Why, thank you, Rodney." She noticed the farmboy gazing at her again and brushed him away. "Into the wrong path we go!"

Eva just followed suit and went with the popular opinion. "Yeah, this better work," she mumbled to herself.

* * *

Team Evil, an _exhausted _Team Evil, reached the arch and nearly died inside.

"Seriously?!" Noah bellowed into the canyon, receiving a creepy echo in return.

Scarlett adjusted her dusty glasses. "I've kept our direction marked, and the correct path has been comprised. It appears we have no choice but to take the wrong path and pray for the best."

"But I'm tired," Owen whined, falling to the ground. "I don't want to walk anymore."

"Izzy can cross that gap!" the hose-beast laughed. She tried running and had her hand grabbed by Noah.

"Hold on, there. We don't need to get separated... or fall to our deaths."

"Wait! _Look_!" Scarlett pointed to the other side of the chasm to find Team Vengeance appearing out of nowhere. They vanished into the next bend of the canyon and Scarlett became ecstatic. "We can make it! Let's hurry and catch up!"

Noah and the redheads ran off into the tight path as Owen lugged behind with the mule.

* * *

Team Horsepower reached a large, rocky expanse of somewhat level ground as the sun began to set. Jasmine pulled out the map and looked at the next symbol, a snakey shape with no exact head or tail.

"What is it?" Sky asked. "It _looks _like a river."

"The Colorado River?" came Brick.

"Could be," Jasmine said suspiciously. "We should find the river anyways to refill our water supply. Maybe camp out for the night. Who knows what comes out in the dark."

"Yeah, I a-agree," Brick stuttered in fear. "Let's set up camp and pick up tomorrow. Preferably when it's not dark in any way, shape, or form."

"Yeah, dudes," Geoff sighed. "I could use a river bath after all this harsh heat, man."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Jo scoffed. "Let's just go before the other teams catch up."

The gang started off down the hills and Jasmine looked to Jo. "We'll be fine. The others are long gone and we've got it won. We'll just relax for a few hours and pick up the last few miles tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay," Jo grumbled, rolling her eyes.

"Good."

* * *

**Confessional**

Brick sighs in relief. "Whoo! Thought we were actually doing this thing at night."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Courtney collapsed by the river as the moon rose to the top of the canyon walls. Scott and Rodney sat by her side and Dave filtered in behind Eva, who sat opposite to the trio of love and hate as she called them. Scott got to work on a fire as the others chowed down on trailmix.

Dave heard voices in the distance and went off to the top of the hill under the guise of taking a leak. At the top, he found himself watching six figures walking around the edge of the river, visible only be the light of their fire. One figure caught his eye. He plucked a flower from the ground and mutilated it's petals.

"You need a psychiatric," came a voice from behind him.

"Eva?! What are you doing?!" Dave panicked, throwing the flower down the hill.

"I thought it was a long leak. Didn't want to sleep without knowing that you're with us and not some mole for that other team."

"I _hate _that team!" Dave whined. "Well, just Sky, but they win every time. More like Team _Overpowered."_

Eva sat next to Dave. "Yeah, they're tough. We can beat them though."

"Yeah, right. We haven't even won any challenges yet."

"Neither has Team Evil. They've lost two so far."

"But I just hate the cargo hold... Economy too."

Eva picked up a medium sized rock and lifted it with one arm. "You need to realize something: Sky doesn't matter. Winning matters. You're too distracted by her and it's making everything miserable for you. You need a focus."

Dave sighed and laid back on the rocks. "But beating that _heathen _is my focus! My drive is to make sure she falls without the money."

"She lost last time. Lost you and her boyfriend dude. Can't get worse than that."

"What about your hair? Or your hopes? Money is worthless."

"Then why did you sign up again? To get back at her?"

"Yeah. I wanted to resolve this once and for all," mumbled Dave with bitter determination.

"So what happens if you get rid of her?"

"I don't... know..." Dave sighed and let a tear drop onto the rocks. "I don't know. But I do know that she's a monster. She lied and cheated her way through. I gave up my chance so she'd get hers, and then..."

Dave went silent in the moonlight and Eva dropped the rock on his chest. He caught it and struggled to lift it off.

"Work out. It takes your mind off of that stuff. At least, it did for me."

Sure thing," Dave squeaked, still trying to push the boulder up.

* * *

**Confessional**

"What?" Eva shrugs. "I felt sorry for the guy. It's sickening how everyone blames him and not her. And that _wasn't _me being nice! Got it?"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Scarlett and Noah pulled the mule forward into the night as Owen and Izzy slept on it's back. The water and trail mix was all gone and no one was happy with the current situation.

"Did you vote for me?" Scarlett asked Noah in a dry voice.

"No," he replied with a yawn, his eyes falling.

"So who did?"

"Owen."

"Makes sense," she scoffed. "He's going next."

"Yeah," Noah mumbled. "What?!" He suddenly snapped awake to find Scarlett nearly out like a light by his side. The bookworm nudged Izzy to have her take over.

The team passed through an open expanse of rock, passing two distant fires as they stumbled along.

Noah passed out and faded to black.

* * *

The sun rose and Brick shook his team awake. "Troops, it's time to move out!"

Jasmine, Jo, and Lightning shot up while Sky and Geoff merely rolled face down in the dirt.

"I said... ALERT!"

Sky shot awake with a yelp. "Okay! Okay!"

Geoff sat up and licked the dirt off his lips. "Yeah, I needed that, dudes."

"Just hurry," Jasmine said, stretching her arms to the sky and exposing more of her midriff.

"I know," Jo groaned impatiently, throwing the bags back on the mule. "We need to move."

Team Horsepower left the open expanse to the north according to their map and compass, leaving a snoozing Team Vengeance alone in last place.

* * *

Team Evil, now fully awake and rested after a night of shifting sleep, arrived at the final landmark: a cliff with ropes hanging down.

"Well, up we go," Noah sighed. "I guess we leave the mule?"

"Obviously," Scarlett said, taking one last drink of water before beginning her climb.

Owen volunteered Izzy to go before he did, which she politely obliged with an accidental kick to the kiwis.

* * *

**Confessional**

Owen holds his nards in pain. "I'm beginning to recall why I wanted to break up with Izzy..."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Team HP arrived at the cliff just in time to shout "Go!" and jump on the ropes.

Scarlett kicked a few loose rocks down and hit Geoff and Owen.

Both gasped in pain before calming saying "Hey!" to each other.

Jasmine, Sky, Jo, and Lightning flew past Owen and Noah, but failed to beat Izzy and Scarlett to the top.

Brick pushed past Owen and joined Geoff to reach to top seconds later, with Noah and Owen coming up slowly, still climbing as quickly as possible.

Atop the butte was a marvelous view. Stripes of red and yellow painted the canyon walls with vibrant hues. The colors went on for miles, contrasting the blue sky. On the other side of the canyon was the Total Drama Jumbo Jet, accessible by three ropes stretched across the expanse for two hundred meters or so.

"Quick! We can zipline!" Jasmine shouted to her team, pulling off her jacket. The others followed suit. "Two at a time, heaviest in front!"

Geoff went first with Sky right behind him.

Scarlett and Izzy yanked the boys to the top just as Jo and Lightning hit the line. Wasting no time, the girls went out, leaving two members on each team.

"Ready for win number four?" Jasmine asked Brick with a wink.

Brick saluted. "Wilderness buds, forever, ma'am!" They both jumped on the line and raced towards victory.

Noah and Owen panicked. Jasmine and Brick were on the road to victory and the guys had to think fast. Suddenly, Owen grabbed Noah and ripped off his own pants.

"Desperate times... call for desperate measures!" Owen shouted, stringing his pants over the rope.

Noah crawled on his back and sighed woefully. "I'm going to die. It's official."

Owen slid down, faster than anyone else due to his weight. Noah screamed as the wind nearly blew him off.

Brick heard the screaming and looked back to see the boys race by and gain on Jasmine.

Owen's stomach began to rumble violently as he and Noah pulled up next to the Australian. She looked over and saw Owen without pants, forcing her to turn away and cringe.

Then it happened. The cactus juice from earlier, fused with Owen's already gassy stomach, exploded in a cloud of toxic fumes that echoed across the entire canyon. Jasmine was overcome with disgust and her eyes watered from the smell. She started to cough up a storm as Noah and Owen raced forward inch by inch, and fell...

Brick watched the khaki jacket float into the canyon as Jasmine fell into the river below where she was swept downstream with a scream of anger.

Owen and Noah flew off the line and crashed into the ground where Izzy and Scarlett cheered alongside them.

Team HP was stunned. Brick flew across the finish line and broke down with the others.

Chris showed up with a cup of coffee and gave Owen a pat on the back. "Nice job, Team Evil! Your first, and very lucky, win. Enjoy it and head back to the plane."

Noah was scraped off the rocks and carried back by Owen and Izzy as the whole team laughed and whooped, even Scarlett.

Chris turned to Team Horsepower. "Guys, unless Jasmine can get up before Team Vengeance gets here, you're hosed."

"We still have a chance?!" Geoff gasped. "Yeah, dudes!"

Chris turned to the butte and chuckled. "Or maybe not." He pulled a megaphone out of nowhere and blared how voice. "Morning, Team V!"

Courtney and her team shouted back, but the wind was too strong to hear them, so Chris just shrugged and watched them cross.

Once Dave made it to the finish and rounded out the five, Jasmine reached the top of the butte again and broke down screaming.

"Team V wins!" Chris announced. "Team HP, prepare to vote off your first loser. Finally. You guys were _way_ to comfortable."

Jasmine flew across the line and landed perfectly.

"Not. A. Word," she said through grit teeth.

Her team followed her back to the plane, reeking of shame and anger.

Courtney growled at Scott. "Just five more minutes, huh? We almost lost because of that!"

"Yeah!" Rodney shouted, putting his blocky chin over Courtney's shoulder.

"Please stop," she sighed, her head drooping.

Eva and Dave watched as the three continued to argue and push each other around until Rodney passed out from exhaustion. Scott kicked dirt in his face and laughed to Courtney's dismay.

* * *

**Confessional**

Geoff looks sad and takes off his hat. "Dude, I don't know what to do. Jasmine and Sky want me to vote off Lightning, but I can't boot a bro! This is so confusing!"

Someone knocks at the door and Lightning pops in. "We need to talk," he says slyly.

**End Confessional**

* * *

Team Horsepower gathered in the elimination area and took their seats on the bench. Jo glared at Jasmine as if she had already won while Jasmine sneered at Lightning, a habit of her's recently.

Chris pulled out five bags of nuts. "Team HP, it's time to see who's about to take a plunge. Frankly, I can see anyone going home. Geoff, you're the least athletic here. Lightning, you're an idiot. Sky, you're a notorious liar. Jasmine, you're a huge threat. Jo, you're a huge backstabber. Brick, your cool."

"Just. Give us. The bags," Jasmine mumbled angrily.

Chris shrugged and threw nuts to Brick, Sky, and Geoff.

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"Jo!"

The jockette snatched her bag from the air with a single flick of her arm.

Geoff let out a silent gasp and his eyes widened, tracing a path between Lightning and Jasmine, both of which were looking pretty confident.

"And the last bag goes to..."

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"Lightning!"

Jasmine gasped and shot up. "What?!"

Geoff sat with his jaw dropped, shaking from head to toe.

Jo and Lightning winked at each other with Brick sighing below them.

Chris looked shocked too. "Wow. Just... wow. That's an interesting vote if I've ever seen one."

"But... HOW?!" Geoff whimpered. He looked at Lightning. "What did you do?!"

"Lightning did what Lightning does best," the jock retorted, smacking his lips.

"Oh, shut it," Jo scoffed, pushing him over. "That was all me."

"I knew I couldn't trust you," Jasmine snarled at the two. "I knew you were trouble..."

"Hold on!" Sky shouted, breaking the tension. "Just someone tell us what's going on!"

"Lightning told me that he and Brick were voting Jo!" Geoff exclaimed, pointing a finger of accusation at his 'bro.'

"What?!" Brick gasped. "I never heard that. Jo said we were voting Jasmine and she'd handle the... tie..."

"Allow me," Chris said, taking a bow. "I've reviewed the tapes, and here's the rub: Jo told Lightning to get Geoff to vote Jo, knowing that Lightning would be targeted. Lightning lied to Geoff and voted Jasmine. Jasmine got three votes, and is out of the game!"

Jasmine sighed and calmed her anger. "As fuming mad as I am, I have to admit that's a good play. I still hate them though."

"Just jump," Jo said, rolling her eyes.

Geoff ran over to Jasmine and grabbed her hand before she strapped on her chute.

"Geoff, it's okay," she sighed with melancholy. "It's just a game."

"But you were so cool!"

"Yeah, but I'll always be with you."

"In my heart?!"

"In my hat." She removed her headpiece and gave it to her friend. "I have, like, twenty spares. It'll look good on you."

Geoff removed his own hat and tried on her's. It fit perfectly. He smiled and gave her his own hat. "Try it on."

She placed Geoff's hat on her raven topped crown. "Perfect fit."

Jasmine waved goodbye and jumped into the open sky. Geoff turned around with his new hat on his head and shot a vengeful glare at Lightning.

"What a baby," the jock snorted.

* * *

**Confessional**

Geoff stares into the camera. "Lightning. The bro-dom is over. Prepare to go down!"

(Static)

Lightning flexes his muscles. "Master. Of. Strategy."

(Static)

Jo winks to the camera.

**End Confessional**

* * *

Chris and Chef sat side by side in the cockpit, enjoying a bowl of popcorn.

"Some episode, huh?" Chris said. "Well, this season is _just _picking up, so stay tuned next time for more betrayal, more laughs, and more whiny Dave on Total Drama... World Tour... Round Trip!"

"We're gonna need more popcorn," Chef said, grinning.

* * *

**The Votes**

Jasmine: 3

Lightning: 2

Jo: 1

**Eliminated: Max, Zoey, Dawn, Jasmine**

**Team Horsepower: Jo, Brick, Lightning, Sky, Geoff**

**Team Vengeance: Courtney, Dave, Rodney, Scott, Eva**

**Team Evil: Scarlett, Izzy, Noah, Owen**

* * *

**Drop of Shame: Jasmine**

Jasmine fell through the air and pulled the cord, extending her chute upwards. With time to relax, she spoke her thoughts.

"I'm not mad. Really. I'm just upset that I'm out _first _on my team. Was I too much of threat that they wanted me gone, because if they thought that, they'll be sorry when they lose every challenge. I was a saving grace, and without my help, they might as well call themselves shrimp on the bar-bee."

"Shawn, I'm sorry I didn't win. I tried, but _someone_ was just faster than me. I guess I'll root for Geoff and Sky, but with a three to two game, I'm really worried. Maybe one of the three can flip, but who knows?"

She came to rest when her chute snagged on a limb jutting out of the cliffside. She groaned and hung her head. "Really? Again?!"

**End Drop of Shame: Jasmine**

* * *

**The Reasoning: **Jasmine was meant to be an early boot from day one and functioned as a red herring of sorts. Realistically, on a team of power players, she would be the first to go due to her sheer skill level and power in challenges, especially with people like Jo around to envy her leadership position. But this doesn't mean that she can't be awesome while she was there and make some new friends (and enemies).

* * *

**~A/N~ Well, I just killed the dreams of many. Jasmine fans, please go easy on me. D:**

**The next chapter will be a development chapter for the first four boots, so more of your early favorites is on the way. It won't be an Aftermath though. ;)**

**Also, yes, I've seen the leaked episode of The Ridonculous Race. If you haven't watched it yet and want to, good luck finding it. Fall is only three months away, so you can wait too.**

**Review Replies:**

**JojiMC: We've already discussed this, so hopefully this episode is a major improvement over the last. ;)**

**Knifez: I guess this boot came as a shock? At least Lightning gets to stay though. He never gets the love he deserves in these things. Owen is another special case in that he always goes really early in stories, so I'm trying to subvert the trope with him as well. Thanks for the awesome review. ;)**

**ilikecherrycoke: Thanks. I update about twice a month, so I don't think I can go much faster.**

**nicholasscrewse: Maybe. It's all part of the plot. ;)**

**The Abysswalker: Thanks. Yes, RR was pushed back to the fall in the US. Tis a sad day, but we'll get over it. We have a lot of leaked stuff to keep us hooked and satisfied for now. ;)**

**Sarcasm Is A Habit: You nailed it. Way to go! HP is basically what I wanted out of Team Amazon in that they fall apart sooner rather than later. Glad to see you're enjoying the bonus scenes. **

**Creaturemaster: You're reaction to that boot is about the biggest I got (other than someone dropping their favorite on this story.) Funny you should mention Rodney getting hit. That was a joke I had cut at the last minute. **

**DarkQueenOfWonderland: Thanks!**

**Guest: Why Scarlett is still around is because she's Team Evil's only hope at a win and could be a vote shield later on. More on that soon.**

**PizzaTheBomb: Thanks. Almost had it with those predictions. ;)**


	6. Playa Des Losers - Vol 1

**~A/N~ I'm just going to be honest and say that this chapter is basically filler to a mild extent. However, there will be some resolution and depth given in these bonus chapters as well as some new plots, so skipping them might leave you confused as to why events in the competition took place, as in eliminations and character motivation.**

**(I also have a new poll up on my profile where you can vote ****again**** for your favorites now that four are gone. If you voted on the first one, just vote again. I'm interested to see how things have changed.)**

* * *

_Episode 6: Playa Des Losers - Vol. 1_

* * *

"So far on this smash hit season of Total Drama, we've had shocking eliminations that boggled the mind and left audiences stunned... and some that left them shrugging, or crying or both. Max, a self proclaimed _evil _genius who became the show's newest first out by annoying his team. Zoey, a true Total Drama All-Star whose status as a surprise power player and lack of ability in early challenges cost her a million. Dawn, the creepiest girl in the history of the show whose cries fell on ignorant ears. And last is Jasmine, a wilderness enthusiast from the Land Down Under who had a blunder when her team sent her packing for being to good at the game. Harsh as these boots may have been, we have a place for these unlucky victims of reality television failure: Playa Des Losers! Here, our eliminated competitors will relax, grab a cold drink, enjoy barbeque, and reflect on their performance in the game. So sit back and enjoy this special episode of Total Drama... World Tour... Round Trip!"

(The theme song plays)

* * *

The setting sun gave one last glimmer of light before falling below the horizon. The Playa went ablaze with light that reflected across the lake as a lone boat approached the dock. The engine sputtered to silence and a short teen stepped off to be greeted by an elderly butler with a bald crown and a fat mustache.

"Your room awaits, sir," he said with a hint of boredom.

Max scoffed and lifted his bags. "It's about time. I waited three hours in a tree circled by rabid beasts, a three hour ride to a run down airport, a three hour wait for my ride, and three hours of flying. Evil needs a break."

"As do we all," the butler said, his eyes glancing to the side with hidden disgust. "You will stay in Room 104. In your room, you'll have access to a DVD player and four star quality furniture. No Wi-Fi though. We don't want you tweeting spoilers, do we?"

"What's to spoil?" Max rolled his eyes. "It's not as if _evil_ has anything to say at the moment. Just take my bags to my room, _minion_. I have an appointment with some yummies."

Max ran off into the resort and the butler rolled his eyes, carrying the luggage behind him.

* * *

**Confessional**

Max takes a bite of cake and has a food-gasm, shaking all over with joy. "This cake is spectacular. I mind steal the recipe from those pathetic cooks. Anyways, I just want to say that Scarlett is a filthy wench with no self-respect. Also, her glasses are dumb."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Max sat in his room flipping through channels on the television. Animals, food, game shows, certain blocked channels... Nothing.

Max threw the remote on the ground and curled up in his sheets, his pink jammies hugging every inch of his flesh. "Stupid TV. What is a diabolical master of mankind to do in this prison of chlorinated pools and bar-bee-_cues_!?"

He looked up to see a camera watching him from the corner of the ceiling. A small red light gave it away. Max flashed a wicked grin and stood up on his bed, the springs squeaking below his chubby frame. The camera was far too high to reach from the ground and Max hated standing on unstable stacks of objects, so he bounced up and down on bed until he had enough momentum and fling himself across the room and grab the camera. When his hands connected with the recording device, his weight yanked the camera out of the wall and Max fell onto the small desk set up along the wall, breaking the thing in half and filling his skin with splinters.

Max let out a final squeak of pain. "Evil... Will... Ehhhh..."

* * *

**Confessional**

Max holds up the stolen camera. "Step one to building a doomsday ray is complete. With the materials I'll collect, I will seize the resort and make those _heathens _pay for dissing my superiority! Mauhahahahah!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Zoey stepped through the main doors and into a circular lobby with reflective floors and statues of Chris lining the walls. She walked with a sad limp to the main desk and asked the man at the computer for a key.

To her surprise, the man was revealed to be a familiar face.

"Topher?! What are you doing here?!"

The slimeball flashed a sexy grin. "Oh, just spending my summer working here for Chris. He said he wouldn't press charges if I ran the front desk for the next few weeks."

"That's, uh, great..." Zoey trailed off into awkward silence. "So, can I have my key? Room 207."

"Coming right up," said the Chris fanatic. He searched through the rack of keys and gave her the shiny gold piece of metal. "Here you go. Enjoy your stay."

Zoey walked off, taking one last awkward gaze at the young Chris. Something seemed off with him, but she couldn't put a finger on it. She retreated down the dark hallways and put it out of her mind.

* * *

**Confessional**

Zoey scratches the back of her neck. "As much as it blows to be here so early, it's pretty nice to have some down time away from Chris and those psychos for one. Well, not all of them were psychos... Or at least the ones on the other teams weren't, I suppose."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Zoey was rudely awakened by the hammering noise from across the hallway. She rubbed her tired eyes and stumbled out of bed in her skimpy, green night clothes and opened the door. Following the sound down the hall, she knocked on the culprit's door and was greeted by a small man with purple hair.

"Can You keep it down?" Zoey yawned, barely able to stand.

"Evil never rests, you redhead bimbo!" Max shouted and closed the door in her face. Seconds later, the hammering started again.

Zoey just walked back to her room and shut the door behind her.

* * *

**Confessional**

"Scratch that," Zoey yawns. "This place is just as bad as that plane. Minus the beds and stuff, of course."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Dawn strolled into the lobby and was greeted by dead silence. A small breeze rattled the door behind her as crickets chirped somewhere in the building.

The moonchild approached Topher at the front desk and tapped him on the shoulder as he typed away on his computer. The young man jumped in his seat and grabbed his chest.

"Hey, don't do that! I could've had a heart attack!"

"Sorry," Dawn said, cringing. "Uh, room 201 please."

Topher pouted and gave her the key. Dawn didn't leave, however. She continued to stare into his eyes and inspect every muscle movement.

"W-what are you doing? Do I have a zit!?"

"No, your aura is just so green, the color of disgust and envy."

"Well," Topher began.

"I saw last season. I know of your intentions. No need to explain."

"But-"

"I'm off to bed. See you tomorrow, Topher."

Topher gave Dawn a look of desperation and scratched at his ankle.

* * *

**Confessional**

"Leaving the others with Scarlett can not end well," Dawn says. "I just pray that they come to understand why keeping someone like her is a terrible idea. I get the pure strategic part of the process, but her aura is too dark. So dark that she might be able to corrupt the others."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Dawn woke up and went outside to find an intern cooking bacon and eggs on the grill. Zoey and Max sat in chairs nearby. The former saw Dawn standing next to her and jumped a bit, nearly falling out of the chair with a yelp.

Dawn grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "I've got you."

"Uh, thanks, Dawn," the redhead chuckled nervously. "So, uh, you got out?"

"She's here. Duh," Max scoffed, adjusting his sunglasses.

"Scarlett turned the others against me," she sighed. "Even Noah wouldn't listen to me."

"Ugh, _her_," Max groaned with disgust. "Her brand of _evil _is just so bland, like the steaks this place serves.

"Ahem," came the intern at the grill.

"Oh, you heard me," Max sneered.

Zoey went back to resting and kicking her feet along the pavement. "I wonder how much this place cost to rebuild. After Duncan blew it up and got hauled off to prison, I thought this place was done for good."

"Probably Scarlett's money that Chris obtained in the court war," Dawn suggested.

"That was a thing?" asked a clueless Zoey. "How'd you know that?"

"Chris told us on day one," the pale teen replied. "It funded the rebuilding of the plane as well."

"Oh, right," Zoey said with a sigh. "I didn't hear that, I guess."

"Yeah, because you're weak-minded," Max laughed from his chair.

Zoey grabbed her drink and tossed it on the manchild before swiftly leaving without breakfast.

* * *

**Confessional**

Zoey rolls her eyes. "How am I weak-minded? The fanbase always rags on me about everything. Apparently my athletic skills and devotion to the guy I love are too normal for them or something."

(Static)

"Her devotion to Mike is dangerous," Dawn says. "It's gotten her in trouble before and with someone like Mike, caution is necessary. It appears an intervention is coming soon."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Jasmine walked up to the front desk and groaned. "Really? Is this a joke?"

"Nope," Topher said, grinning. "I'm here to stay for a few thousand dollars. Enjoy your _stay_."

"Was that a jab at the fact that I was eliminated?" The Australian glared at Topher with anger. "At least I got invited back to the show."

"And how much money have you made so far? Half a million from last season minus taxes? Zero this year?"

"Just watch your back and be glad I'm not feeling up to stringing you up the flagpole by your briefs," Jasmine growled, grabbing her key and removing Geoff's hat to get the hair out of her eyes.

* * *

**Confessional**

Jasmine fiddles with the small bottles of perfume on the table top in front of her. "Last time I only spent a day here. Well, not _here _per se, but a fancy hotel. As sad as I am about going home fourth, at least I'll be able to have some fun."

**End Confessional**

* * *

The eliminated campers gathered in the pool area where Max laughed upon spotting Jasmine. Zoey slapped his arm and went to greet the tall girl.

"Hey," she said, extending her hand upwards. "Welcome to the Playa."

Jasmine shook hands and smiled again. "Well, thanks for the warm welcome. I wasn't sure how this place would treat me, but a nice rest was just amazing. What do you guys do around here?"

Dawn stepped forward. "We play volleyball, swim in the pool, watch television-"

"And eat barbeque," Zoey added.

"Riiiiight," Dawn said with ignorance. "It's always the barbeque."

Zoey looked to Jasmine and whispered into her ear. "Maybe we should hit the beach? Dawn gets a bit feisty when meat comes up."

Jasmine nodded and the girls left the pool. Dawn shrugged and turned to see Max going to town on the pool's temperature control panel with a screwdriver.

"You saw nothing..." he hissed before retreating into the house with a hunk of wiring in his grubby mitts.

* * *

"So what did you want to tell me?" Jasmine asked, Zoey as the duo walked down the hot, sandy Canadian beach. "Or did you just want to talk?"

"Well," Zoey began, fiddling with her fingers. "Do you miss your boyfriend?"

"Uh, yeah. Why wouldn't I?"

"But do you think about him every second of the day?"

"Do you?" Jasmine asked with her brow raised.

Zoey nodded.

Jasmine flashed a warm smile. "Well you obviously care about him. But he's not here and doing fine on his own. Just find some fun while you're away from the guy. I think that's helpful, right?"

"I guess. But Mike is my everything. He keeps me going to pursue my dreams."

"And that's fine, but you need some time away. These relationships aren't healthy, y'know."

Zoey gasped, covering her mouth with one hand. "Really?!"

"Don't freak out," Jasmine begged. "Just hear this: You need your own self. Mike's just another person, not part of you. I saw last season and noticed how blind your love made you to the truth, and that can be dangerous."

"Wait... Are you saying I _shouldn't _trust Mike?"

"No. I'm just... Ugh," Jasmine groaned, slapping her forehead in frustration. "Just hang out and enjoy the place. We good?"

Zoey nodded reluctantly.

"Good."

* * *

**Confessional**

Zoey growls and clenches her fists. "This is getting so confusing!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

The four teens were sitting together, eating lobster in the dining room. As expected, Dawn skipped the seafood and enjoyed a block of tofu on her own, attempting to avoid gazing at the dead crustaceans.

Max slowly reached across the table to grab a second fork, which he shoved into his pocket.

"What's that for?" Zoey asked politely.

"None-ya!" the genius spat.

Dawn looked over to Zoey. "You seem stressed."

"Well, I'm not, so..."

"But your aura reeks of longing. You miss Mike, don't you?"

"Of course, but-"

"Your dedication to Mike is quite dangerous. If you allow his being to invade your soul, you will find your own being collapsing until you are but a sad wreck of your former self with blind optimism towards him. At that point, he controls you without knowing the power he possesses."

Zoey's eye twitched and her mouth twisted.

"Too far," Jasmine scolded the moonchild.

"I'm just trying to help her conquer her fear of being away from Mike," Dawn said.

Zoey let out a mumble. "I don't need help..."

"But-"

"No buts!" Zoey shouted. She stood up and left the room, leaving Max to laugh.

"Ha! Her face was priceless. Please tell me someone got that on camera."

Jasmine just went back to eating. Dawn sighed and went back to her room.

* * *

The next morning, all four losers gathered around the volleyball court and split into two teams. Max and Zoey rounded out "Team Oddly Colored Hair" according to Max himself while Jasmine and Dawn rounded out "Team Cheated Out Of the Show."

Jasmine served first and Zoey leapt high to smack it back towards Dawn. She leaned back to catch the ball with her open palm, sending it high above the court. It plummeted on Zoey's side where Max missed a shot, getting hit in the face to add insult to injury.

He fell down and cried while holding his face. "My nose! It's been diabolically broken!"

"You're fine," Zoey deadpanned. "It's not that bad."

"Lady, look at my sniffer!" Max uncovered his face to show no damage whatsoever.

"Just serve, please."

"Oh, right!" Max grabbed the ball. "Prepare to get _served_. Was that too cheesy? Do over time!"

"Just. Serve!" Jasmine screamed.

Max rolled his eyes and smacked the ball over the net. Jasmine didn't even need to move to hit the ball back, but Zoey was ready and hit back hard, driving it over the net and into the ground between Dawn and Jasmine.

"We're tied!" Jasmine said. "Congrats, but don't expect any easy wins today."

"In your dreams, Jas-_man_!" Max laughed, distracting him from Jasmine's serve and earning him another shot to the face.

"Ah! My perfection!"

"Maybe you should sit out?" Zoey insisted.

"No! Evil has one last trick up his sleeve."

"Which is?"

"It's a secret. Obviously."

Zoey shrugged and served to Dawn, who hit back to Jasmine with her clenched fists. The Amazonian warrior launched the ball onto Zoey's side and laughed. Though it was out of her reach, Zoey jumped to the side to bump the ball up in the air where Max spiked it into the net. Zoey bumped it again and got it over the net, but Jasmine spiked it down and smashed the ball into the sand in front of Zoey's face, clouding her face with sand particles.

"Victory!" Dawn cheered, high-fiving Jasmine.

"This would be better with more people," Zoey sighed, wiping the sand on her skirt.

"Yes," Max giggled. "More victims to brutally destroy with my master plan..."

"What was that?" Zoey asked suspiciously.

"Nothing. Nothing at all," Max said with a casual pose.

* * *

**Confessional**

Zoey bites at her lower lip. "I think that Max guy is a serial killer. I know he's not a threat, but he's so dumb that I can see him accidentally killing us all. Am I too paranoid?"

(Static)

Max pulls an assortment of items out of his pockets. "A fork, a shampoo bottle, a pair of magnetic balls, and some intern's glasses! Everything is going to plan."

**End Confessional**

* * *

At the end of the day, the four losers lined up outside a small room. Max entered first...

* * *

**Interview: Max**

"Why am I here again? Evil hates time wasting activities."

_"You're here for an exit interview. We want to hear your thoughts on the game."_

"It was sucky. There. Question: answered."

_"What was your favorite part of the season?"_

"Meeting Sir Licksalot, of course. Never before have I met such as fantastic friend. Too bad his family had to steal him from me. I rightfully kidnapped him and they knew it."

_"Who do you want to see win the season?"_

"No one. They all suck eggs and need to die... painfully."

"_Uh, okay... What was your strategy going in?"_

"Strategy? Ha! Evil needs no strategy other than evil itself."

"_Right. Whatever. What was your biggest mistake on this season?"_

"My hothouse of a body, of course. I was obviously too attractive for Scarlett to handle. She'll regret it though. Without my assistance, she is but a stupid sidekick. Ha. Ha. Ha."

**End Interview: Max**

* * *

**Interview: Zoey**

_"So, what was your favorite part of the season?"_

_"_I don't really have one, I guess. Nothing really happened. We never won any challenges or anything. I guess getting far twice in a row spoiled me to the average experience."

_"Who do you want to see win this year?"_

"That's a tough one. Just on my team? Nobody. I guess Brick would be a good winner though. He's smart, strong, nice, determined. He's like the perfect person."

_"Better than Mike?"_

"No. Not better than Mike."

_"Are you offended by that question?"_

_"_No! It's just a question. W-why would I be?"

"_Alright, we'll stop. So, what was your strategy?"_

"Just... be myself. Stay out of all the big fights and play under the radar. I knew I'd be a target, but I didn't think I'd be out for being bad in challenges. It's just bad luck that I failed in New Guinea."

_"Nice. And what do you think was your biggest mistake?"_

"I thought everyone liked me, but I guess I underestimated Courtney. The thing is, I accepted the fact that Scott would vote for me. Typical Scott. I thought everyone was voting either him or Dave. I ended up making a choice that didn't matter because she wanted me gone. I'm guessing Eva voted for me too, but I'll never know."

**End Interview: Zoey**

* * *

**Interview: Dawn**

_"So, Dawn, what was your favorite moment of the season?"_

"Meeting new people. Noah and Owen were delightful, if a bit ignorant, but I'm glad we got to talk as long as we did. I'm hoping for one of them to pull out a million dollar win, but anyone but Scarlett will suffice as a Victor.

"_Cool. So what was your main strategy going into the season? Did you even have one?"_

"I was following my heart and attempting to be more social. Last time, my lack of social connection doomed me, and this time I felt like I had something going between Noah and I. Scarlett was just more manipulative than expected.

_"Why do you think they kept Scarlett? Why keep a psycho?"_

_"_She brought brainpower to the team and had no chance of winning. Simple as that."

_"You consider yourself a nature lover. Did that affect the way you played?"_

_"_Oh, most definitely. In Yellowstone, I had so many discussions about the natural beauty of the location. I doubt they'll be aired, but my love of the earth we stand on was a huge factor. In the eating challenge, I was prepared to drop out. I'd rather lose than eat one of the Earth Mother's great creatures."

**End Interview: Dawn**

* * *

**Interview: Jasmine**

"This'll be quick, right? I'm missing breakfast."

"_Sure. Just a few short questions, okay?"_

"Right. Hit me."

"_What was your favorite moment of the season?"_

"Personally? Meeting Geoff and winning three challenges was pretty swell. Never knew a party boy drunk on cheetos could be a cool guy. I remember, uh, watching him on season one and finding him a bit obnoxious, but he's a good guy. He really is."

_"So what do you think about Jo's strategy to get you out?"_

"I don't really know what went on back there. Geoff and Lightning talked about something and Geoff voted Jo and then things get all crazy because Sky and I voted Lightning and it's just a mess. From what I can tell, she used Lightning to steal Geoff's vote, and that's a strong play. Won't get her my vote though. Too unethical."

_"I see. Now, tell me what your strategy was going into a new season."_

"About the same as last time. Power my way through and make connections. I had Sky and almost locked in Geoff, but Lightning and Jo are a force to be reckoned with in this game. They're both strong and she's a mastermind, so if they get to merge together, it's a long way down the ladder if they fall. But yeah, I could've played more strategically, definitely more strategically."

_"Nice to hear. But to end this, who do you think should lead the team without you there?"_

"Sky. Definitely Sky. I know Jo's in charge, but I think they'll turn on her fast. Karma's coming."

**End Interview: Jasmine**

* * *

Topher stepped out of his desk zone and crossed his arms. "And there you have it. Four failures down and fourteen to go. There's still more Playa Des Losers Specials on the way, so stay tuned til next time for more drama, more interviews, and more of me, your host!"

* * *

**~A/N~ I was going to do Aftermaths early on in the planning, but I wanted to do something new and inventive. That's where these Playa Specials come in. Think of the Ponderosa videos from Survivor crossed with Big Brother's see-all nature. I'm sure someone's done this before, so hopefully I did it better.**

**I know the break from the game with repel some of you, but these short specials are entirely optional to read unless you want to see things like Zoey's plot develop outside of the game, sort of like the subplots in the TDWT Aftermaths that weren't just filler, but didn't do much in-game barring Blaineley's debut, which probably won't happen here. ;)**

**If you want to leave a review, it would be great to hear what you guys think of this type of episode. **

**Until next time, have a great day. Foreseer... out!**

**(P.S: The next location of this season is already in RR. Just a little hint.)**

* * *

**Review Replies:**

**Knifez: Yeah, these chapters serve to give more screen time to the early boots, so more Jasmine and Dawn is always on the way. The gender imbalance thing won't be so imbalanced later on. It's just the way the characters were written in terms of the story so far. Interesting predictions... very interesting indeed.**

**Pizza The Bomb: Thanks again. I'm glad the Rodney and Scott plot is fun because I know how hated those two are. The Team Evil plot is one of my favorites too. Mistrust and moral dilemmas are fun to write and apparently fun to read.**

**Creaturemaster: Team HP couldn't become Amazon 2.0. That would just be lame. Their huge winning streak is pretty much over without Jasmine, but they could still pull out a few here and there. The Skave plot is very controversial, so I'm trying to give both characters their own sides and their own faults. Neither is perfect, though I do blame one more than the other for specific reasons.**

**Elizabeth Life Stone: Team Evil has Noah. Team Victory has nothing on them XD. Thanks for the review.**

**Karts of Sugar Rush: That title was confusing to many. Don't feel bad about it. Thanks for the predictions. It's nice to see my readers invested in the future of the plot. Also, Ryan was from RR. Gotta get those RR references in there for some quick gags. ;)**

**Sarcasm Is A Habit: Thanks. Jasmine made another appearance, so hopefully you liked it. I know these bonus chapters can be boring from time to time.**

**Nicholascrewse: Thanks! **

**The Abysswalker: I figured the Grand Canyon could speak for itself, being the largest inland gorge on the planet. Guess I need more imagery next time. As for the abyss scene, think of a cliff with a small ledge running across it, below being the depths of splattering. ;)**

**JojiMC: Nothing's wrong about taking your sweet time. I know I'm late with reviewing a few things here and there, so I'm the one who should be freaking out. Anyways, winks aside, the Grand Canyon is a place that I'm surprised didn't make it on the show. RR will probably use it though. Maybe. Thanks for the character reviews too. I'll agree with you on Eva's, Noah's, and Sky's. Spot on analysis for the others. This chapter was one of my favorites too. **

**Mel: Thanks. I'd tried to keep the cast balanced between big names and underdog players. Duncan and Heather types were never even considered.**


	7. Sneers and Loathing In Las Vegas

**~A/N~ The reaction to my Playa episode was better than expected, but I've still got some kinks to work out. Expect another one of those every few episodes. I have two more planned for the season, so don't worry about getting sick of them.**

**Anyways, I've been looking forward to this episode for a while. The challenge, or at least one of them, is something I've wanted to see in TD for a long time, and there couldn't be a better time and place in the game to do it. As for what it is, Survivor fanatics might be able to guess what challenge I'm referring to by just looking at the title, but anyone who isn't familiar with the idea should still have fun with this. **

**Also, we just hit 75 reviews! That's amazing! It warms my cold, dead heart to see a story of mine hit such a high mark so early in its life. Let's try and hit that 100 mark by the next chapter if possible. I think we can do it! **

**Without further ado, enjoy!**

* * *

_Episode 7: Sneers &amp; Loathing In Las Vegas_

* * *

"Last time on Total Drama World Tour: Round Trip, we dropped the fortunate fifteen into the desolate Grand Canyon of Arizona to complete a nearly twenty mile hike through the canyon to reach the finish line. Team Evil kept itself together, and with a non-stop trek through the night, claimed their first class victory. Team Vengeance overslept, but thanks to Owen's toxic fumes, Jasmine took the dive both from the zipline and from the plane, leaving Jo in control of Team HP and Geoff on the bottom. Will Jo reign, or will Geoff manage to avenge his friend? Will Team Evil implode for good? Can Team Vengeance _finally _win first class?! Find out all the answers, here on Total Drama... World Tour... Round Trip!"

(The theme song plays)

* * *

Team Vengeance sat in Economy yet again. Rodney was still shooting glances of anger towards Scott and those of adoration towards Courtney. The CIT ignored both and laid down on the bench.

Eva and Dave sat opposite of the trio of lovers and just sat there, bored out of their minds and showing no emotion.

"This sucks," Courtney sighed, closing her eyes and letting her hair run off the edge. "We've yet to win _one challenge."_

"Hey, at least we've only lost one person," Scott argued. "Better than losing two."

"True," she replied. "But we need to get into first class soon."

"Yeah," Dave said. "This place is cool and all, but the possibility of getting sick doesn't interest me. We need to pull out a miracle though."

"But how?" Eva asked with a stubborn grunt. "We have me, you gingers, and CIT over here. That's four strong players in some way. We should be winning more."

"Hey, what about me?!" Dave whined.

Eva just gave Dave a look that said "Really?"

* * *

**Confessional**

Eva cracks her knuckles. "Look, I feel sorry for him. He's broken and pathetic, but I have to be honest and say he's worthless. Even Noah would have some brains to give."

(Static)

"It's not fair," Dave says while sulking in his seat. "Why isn't the voice of reason ever valued?"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Geoff sat behind some boxes in the cargo hold, twirling Jasmine's hat around his hand. He heard footsteps and looked up to see Sky.

"We need to talk," she said, peeking over to make sure they were alone. "Now."

"Sure, man. Lay it on me," Geoff said, lacking his usual enthusiasm.

"Well, I know it's nothing new, but we need to band together and take back our team from those traitors. Lightning and Jo especially."

"No, just Jo. Lightning just did what she forced him to do. The dude was totally coerced into it. Jo's the real mastermind, and she's going down, even though her plan was pretty boss."

"It was unethical," Sky hissed. "Lying to someone behind their back is wrong."

Geoff raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Sky gasped. "Is this about what happened last season? For the last time, he didn't want to hear the _but_."

"And you tried to tell him... how many times?"

"Well, twice, but he didn't care, so why even try?"

"But you kissed the dude and cheated on your guy back home. Seems pretty wrong to me."

Sky looked over the boxes again. "Okay, but he tried to kill me."

"As part of a challenge, dude."

"He was creepy and obsessed."

"True, but you led him on and left him to die."

"No! I-"

"What are you two clowns, doing?" came a voice from above.

The pair looked up to see Jo standing with a suspicious pout on her mug.

"Just talking," Sky said.

"Right," Jo laughed. "I know you two have an alliance. With _Fe-Dora _the Explorer gone, you two have nowhere else to go. Dang! I should've used that one before she left!"

"Show some respect!" Geoff busted out. "She was a great leader."

Jo smirked. "And I'll be greater." She left and joined Lightning and Brick in their own group.

* * *

**Confessional**

Brick puts a hand over his heart. "Though it pains me to send Jasmine home like that, I'm here to win with strategy and tactical advances. If it means dealing with Jo's antics until the finale, then so be it. I mean, I don't want her to leave _just yet_." His cheeks turn pink.

(Static)

Lightning taps the window. "This game is in the hand of my palm... or something like that. Lightning has a plan to make sure he gets to the finale again, and Jo's in his way. Revenge is sha-sweet, Jo. Sweet like honey."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Scarlett and Izzy hit the snack bar. The genius picked out a slice of cake and sat down to eat while Izzy watched her eat every bite.

"What?"

"Nothing," Izzy giggled. "You just eat really weird."

"How so?" Scarlett said, narrowing her eyes.

"You hold the fork wrong," she replied, pointing to Scarlett's hand. She had the fork positioned at the very tip of her fingers and upside down too.

"It's perfectly normal... not that you'd understand a civilized manner."

Izzy ignored her and slammed her face into the cake, splattering it all over the girls.

Scarlett stood up and stormed off into the bathroom with Izzy behind her, licking the icing off her teammate's shoulder.

Owen and Noah chuckled from their reclined seats.

"Some team, huh?" Noah rolled his eyes playfully. "They're so crazy it's hilarious."

"Yeah," Owen snorted. "But I don't know if getting back with Izzy is a good idea. She's just so... violent."

"Your call, buddy." Noah shrugged and grabbed his book.

"I think it's over for both of us, but maybe you could date her instead?"

"Sorry," Noah scoffed. "I'm deathly allergic to nuts."

Owen scratched his head. "But... Izzy's a girl."

Noah facepalmed. "_That's _how you took the joke? Really? Not as _actual_ nuts or a nuthouse? Y'know, you killed it big time, dude. Forget it."

"Sorry," Owen chuckled. "You still up for it though?"

* * *

**Confessional**

Noah rolls his eyes. "Izzy's crazy and hilarious, but annoying. Plus, I don't date crazy, kooky, murderous, masculine, feminine, or anyone. Yep, I'm forever single. It's _totally _a living hell like everyone says."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Scarlett emerged from the bathroom with a cleaner outfit as if magic had erased the mess of cake. Without warning, the plane shook and she fell into the cake again.

"Attention, fruitcakes!" came Chef over the PA. "Strap in for landing. Now!"

"Landing?! Already?" Noah asked in disbelief.

"Short trip, I guess," Owen shrugged. "Maybe we landed in Mexico or something."

"Not likely," Scarlett smirked, looking out the window.

* * *

The plane landed and the cast dropped out the door to hit a hot runway as the sun set. A few stars were already in the sky, but we're obscured by the blazing lights in the distance.

"Uh... Where are we now?" Scott asked. "We barely moved!"

"True," Chris said. "But this is no Grand Canyon. Today is..." The host flipped off his regular attire to reveal a suave, teal suit and wicked shades. "Vegas baby!"

"I've always wanted to hit the slots," Izzy squealed. "Score some dough!"

"Gambling?" Jo asked with a raised brow. "Aren't we, like, sixteen?"

"Yeah, but when is the law involved in this show?" Noah snorted, trying to make a joke.

"It's always involved," Chris said. "That's why you're not gambling this time. We have a new past time for you to enjoy."

"Ninja Warrior?!" Sky gasped with wide eyes and a wider grin.

"Maybe."

"Skateboarding championship?!" came Geoff.

"Possibly."

"Singing competition?!" Courtney gasped.

"Could happen."

"Just tell us," Lightning growled.

"What? You don't like surprises?"

"Not on this program," Scarlett said, rolling her eyes.

"Fair. Anyways, I ordered a stretch limousine to take us into the city. It should be arriving in five... four... three... two... one... and..."

On cue, a black limo raced into the runway and the doors swung open.

"Now boarding, hehe," Chris said, ending with a chuckle.

* * *

**Confessional**

Dave leans back against the door with his hands in the air. "As if Chris would just order us all a limo. I know I shouldn't get it... but watching my feet tumble for miles sounds terrible!"

(Static)

Rodney smirks. "Vegas should be a piece of pie. I've been lucky with chicks all my life, so coming to sin city is like a dream come true. I just hope Courtney won't be jealous if the girls assault me with their charms."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Scott, Noah, and Rodney took their seats in that order, putting the bookworm between the pushy redneck rivals. Behind them were Geoff, Sky, and Owen, followed by Scarlett, Izzy, and Jo. Lightning, Brick, and Dave rounded out the next row of seats, while Eva and Courtney were forced into the back row.

The limo took off into the desert, passing several signs with scantily clad women on them.

Izzy bugged Scarlett by yanking on her shoulder. "Hey, look! Bikini babes! Scarlett, look!"

"I. Saw." Scarlett shuddered with disgust.

"You're messed up in the head," Jo said. "Just stick to the recommended dose, nut-house."

* * *

Rodney and Scott took turns poking each other from across the seats, annoying Noah to no end as he sat with a dull, emotionless face in the middle.

Courtney turned to Eva. "Hey, quick question. How safe do you feel?"

"And why is that something you need to know?" Eva growled from deep within her throat.

"I'm just wondering if you feel on the outs with the team, because we could use you in the alliance if we boot Rodney next. No joke. He's strong physically, but the brain of a gnat."

"Why not boot Scott and Dave? They're pointless."

"So you _are _in?" Courtney asked slyly.

"I'm not in. I'm just always watching. You, Dave, and Rodney have something."

"Well... Yeah, but we don't need Rodney when you're in on the final three deal."

"Final three? Sounds cool."

"So, you're in?"

Eva gave it a quick thought. "Deal."

* * *

**Confessional**

Courtney smirks. "Easy peasy. Right now, Rodney is more of a liability. Sure, he'll blindly follow me, but he's gonna blow our plans if his in. At least Eva's a target over me in case we lose. Win-win."

(Static)

"As if I trust her," Eva snarls, rolling her eyes. "I'm just in it to stay safe until the merge. Once that hits... You'll see..."

**End Confessional**

* * *

The limousine rolled into the glow of blinding neon. Every corner was occupied by some attraction, whether it be a casino, theater, hotel, restaurant, or scantily clad woman.

"Yep, every bit as trashy as I expected it to be," Dave sighed.

Owen was caught staring at the girls on the street and chuckled with embarrassment when Sky snapped up his ear.

Brick rolled down the window and squinted to block the lights. "Wow. I could just keep riding all night. It's beautiful."

The vehicle freaked to a stop and the remaining players crawled over each other to escape what Owen was turning into a death trap of odors. Upon hitting the pavement they were greeted by the sight of a tall building, curved at an obtuse angle at the center. To the left was a tall clock tower and behind both was another tall building with three sections.

"Welcome to the largest hotel in the world!" Chris exclaimed, tipping his hat. "This is the Venetian and Palazzo Complex, holding over 7000 rooms and suites and a five-diamond rating."

"It's just so... fancy," Courtney gasped in awe. "Are we actually staying here?"

"Please!" came Dave on the verge of tears. "I need this so much."

Noah shrugged. "I'm up for it."

"Keep your jimmies unrustled. You're not staying here... You're _winning_ your right to stay here," Chris said. "But you are preforming today's challenges here, and trust me. You'll have fun."

"We didn't even get any food this morning," Owen sobbed. "How is this fun?!"

"Oh, there will be food," Chris said with a smirk. "It just takes a little luck and blind ambition."

* * *

**Confessional**

"I've never been one for fancy hotels," Brick says. "I'm more of a 'roughing it' guy, y'know."

(Static)

Lightning fawns like a fangirl at a boy band concert. "Oooohhhh! Lightning needs this! He doesn't just _want _it; he _needs _it!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

The teams entered the lobby. The floors were designed with polygons of red, yellow, and black that made the tiles look like cubes, stretching all the way down the hall. A fountain crowned with a sphere of golden rings stood front and center to the main hall, which was curved at the top and decorated with Italian themed religious paintings as far as the eye could see. Golden pillars stood stout on both sides of the hall, watching the teens pass under their shadows.

"This place must cost a fortune," Sky speculated. "Even my future Olympic winnings couldn't buy this place."

"Keep dreaming," Lightning shorted.

Sky just stared at Lightning with venom in her eyes as the jock ignored her.

* * *

**Confessional**

Jo smirks. "I see Ms. Olympics and Jockstrap are back at it. Nice to know."

**End Confessional**

* * *

The teens walked through endless hallways and staircases until they reached a set of doors, overcast by lights and golden sheen. Chris opened the doors and led the group into a massive theater. Seats covered every inch of space not occupied by the stage, which was adorned with lights and decor ripped out of Venice itself. Sets of lights flickered on down the aisle until the stage lit up with a rainbow of gold and red.

"So where's the food?" Owen asked as the others basked in the glory of the sight in front of them.

Noah let out a small chuckle. "Who else but Owen?"

"There will be food later," Chris said. "I swear on it. As for the challenge, it's a Total Drama classic: a talent competition! Backstage, you'll find whatever props you'll use to show off your wicked skills. The only rule is to keep it age appropriate. No nudity or anything like that."

Izzy snapped her fingers in bitter disappointment.

"Chef, myself, and special guest will judge your performances on a 1 to 10 scale. The team with the highest average point total wins immunity and a night in the Palazzo while the team with the lowest score votes someone off. But here's the catch: you'll be performing individual talents one by one, so try and stay away from copy-catting someone."

"And the foods?!" came you-know-who.

"I was getting to that, Owen, but because you've asked so much, I'm keeping my lips shut."

Owen broke down crying on Noah's shoulder where he was comforted by his friend.

"You have one hour to prepare. After that, it's show time. As you do what you do, I'll be in the casino checking out the slots with Chef. Good luck. You'll need it."

Chris left and the teams dashed backstage to find a maze of clothes and props of every texture, size, shape, and color imaginable.

* * *

**Confessional**

Sky rubs her chin. "Last time... I did a burping act. This time, I have no clue."

(Static)

Owen rubs his hands together and leans forward with a grin on his face. "Oh, this'll be awesome."

(Static)

Courtney smirks. "Finally. A competition where I can perform my solo on the violin... They have one here, right?"

(Static)

Rodney scratches his scalp. "I wonder... Does charming girls count as a talent?"

(Static)

Geoff sighs. "I bet Jasmine would've loved this one." He finally smiles. "But she's gone, so I need to step it up and score big, man. I can do this!"

(Static)

Noah scowls. "Every talent show I've been in, I've lost. Apparently my lack of singing skills, guitar playing ability, and whiteness just isn't enough in this biz."

**End Confessional**

* * *

While Team Horsepower and Team Vengeance split up to find their props and brainstorm, Team Evil stayed together at first to discuss the challenge.

"So," Scarlett began adjusting her glasses. "Who here already knows what they'll be doing?"

Owen raised his hand. "Oh, oh, I know. I can burp the alphabet!"

"No," Scarlett nodded. "Any other ideas?"

"Let him do it," Noah said. "Trust me. Chris will _love _it."

"But that's not a talent," Scarlett argued. "It's just disgusting."

"I can light myself on fire," Izzy suggested.

Her team's eyes went wide and they backed away.

"What? Come on! It'll be cool!"

* * *

Courtney ran straight to a collection of instruments and grabbed a violin from its case. She tuned the strings and played a quick tune.

"Nice," came Scott, who was dragging a giant piece of wood behind him.

"Thank you. I've been playing for years. Last time, my violin broke and so did my head. This time, I finally get to play."

"Cool, but can we talk?"

Courtney shied away. "Uh, sure."

"Well, I just want know if you, uh, still..."

"No, Scott. We're done. _Done_."

"You sure? I mean, I'm willing to forgive and forget if-"

"It's not happening," Courtney sighed, crossing her arms. "We just weren't working. Simple as that."

"Okay," mumbled a disappointed Scott. Suddenly, he leaned forward and pecked Courtney on the lips.

Courtney jumped back in surprise and blushed. Her anger soon took over and her arm sailed into Scott's chest.

"Ow! It was just a kiss."

"Yeah, I know."

"Okay, you don't want to be my boy, uh, girlfriend, but can we just be in an alliance and ditch Rodney?"

Courtney perked up and rolled her eyes to mask her feelings. "Sure. Yeah, whatever."

The two went their separate ways as Rodney watched from the nearby rack of clothes. A sneer formed on his otherwise kind face.

* * *

**Confessional**

Rodney bangs his fists on the table. "No! Scott must of brainwashed her into loving him again to get me voted off! I need a plan! Think, brain. _Think_."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Jo grabbed a piece of weight lifting equipment and dragged it out of the pile. Lightning showed up out of nowhere to grab it for himself.

"Lightning for the interception! Sha-score!"

"Oh, not again!" Jo roared, chasing him down.

Sky pulled three gymnastics bars across the ground, barely moving. Geoff pulled up along side her with a skateboard in hand and helped her pull.

"Thanks," she sighed in relief.

"No prob, yo. Just helping the team."

"Yeah, let's just hope we win. I know I'll be going home over you if Jo wants all the powerful players gone."

"Maybe we can flip one of them. Lightning?"

"No way. He's crazy."

"But he's a bro. Plus, he's been betrayed by Jo before."

"That's true, but what about Brick?"

"I don't think I've talked to him much. He and Jo are pretty tight though."

"Yeah," Sky groaned. "We're hosed."

"Yeah, but look at the bright side, Sky. There's still a chance, right?"

Sky shrugged.

* * *

**Confessional**

Sky sighs. "Coming out of a season as a finalist makes me a huge target. Geoff hasn't competed in five seasons. You tell me who's on the chopping block!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Eva looked through piles of junk for anything that was hard, solid, and durable. A small hiss from within the clothes in front of her caused the bully to lift her head.

"Yo," whispered Izzy.

"What?" Eva whispered back.

"What do you mean what? What have you learned?"

"Oh, right. Well, I'm in what I think is an alliance with Courtney. Scott and Rodney are fighting over her like six year olds and it's really annoying. Dave, Courtney, and Rodney are in an alliance, but Rodney might go next in favor of me. Also, Dave's not that bad. Is that good enough?"

"Perfect. Thanks!" Izzy slinked back inside the clothes as Dave approached.

"Who were you talking to?"

"Myself," Eva said. "I do that sometimes."

"Cool," Dave said, his brow raised. "Uh... Have you seen any socks around here? Maybe some glue too?"

"Yeah, back by the entrance."

"Thanks, Eva. I have the best idea ever!"

"Riiiight..." Eva went back to searching and found a few thick blocks of wood. "Alright!"

* * *

Scarlett and Noah stood around waiting for the others to return with their props. The bookworm hadn't moved an inch while Scarlett had found a large blackboard which she had rolled by her side.

"Noah, may I ask what you intend to do on stage?"

"Sure, just let me spoil the surprise."

Scarlett mumbled to herself and slouched against the wall. "Well, I'm solving an impossible to solve equation, for your information."

"Oh, that'll get an audience."

"It should get us points, which in turn get us a win."

"Math: not my forte."

"I thought that was sports," Scarlett deadpanned.

"Meh. I can do math. I just don't care."

"You're pathetic."

"I know."

Suddenly, an alarm rang and Chris' voice boomed. "Attention performers! It's time to show us what you got! Please report to the stage immediately!"

* * *

Once all the teams had gathered, Chris and Chef, wearing a blue tuxedo and black tuxedo respectively, took their seats at the judging platform below the stage.

"Before we begin, I'd like to introduce today's special guest!" Chris exclaimed in his announcer voice. "He's a judge on Canada's most popular reality talent competition and host of his own game show! Give a round of applause to Yowie Scandal!"

A bald man with a tuft of hair on his chin ran down the aisle as cheers rained down from the speakers. The man was wearing all black, even his underwear. He high-fived Chris and took his seat.

"Hey, guys. Great to be here. You probably know me from 'What U Got?' The best reality talent show in Canada."

"No. Not really," quipped Noah.

"Oh, well, you should. I'm famous!" Yowie scolded the teen.

Chris settled the guest down. "Whoa there, bro. You'll have plenty of time to yell at them during the show." He turned his attention to the teens. "Team Evil, you will go first in any order you like."

The teams dashed off backstage and Owen appeared a few seconds later, holding a giant bottle of pop. "My name's Owen, and I'll be singing the ABCs, belch style."

"Disgusting," Yowie groaned. "Does anyone have a protective suit?! I hate germs!"

* * *

**Confessional**

Dave smiles. "I like the guy already."

**End Confessional**

* * *

"No," Chris sighed. "Proceed, Owen."

Owen nodded and took a massive swig of soda. He took a deep breath and opened his mouth. With a loud burp that rattled the stage, Owen dropped jaws.

"_ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYandZEEEEDDDDD!"_

Scarlett nearly collapsed off screen while Izzy and Owen were loving it.

Chris stood up and clapped, as did Chef and even Yowie.

"Brilliant!" Yowie shouted. "It was gross, but so captivating. It was weird and crazy, but talent at it's raw-est!"

"Agreed!" Chef said with a nod. "That's gonna be hard to beat."

Chris looked to the other judges. "Is it unanimous? Ten out of ten!"

Woo hoo!" Owen whooped, letting out another burp at the end.

* * *

**Confessional**

Scarlett's eye is twitching. "A _ten? A TEN?!"_

**End Confessional**

* * *

Scarlett stomped her way to center stage with her blackboard next to her. "Today, I'll be solving one of the hardest Chemistry balancing equations known to mankind. I thank you in advance for your time."

Scarlett proceeded to write the following equation:

KMnO4 + FeSO4 + H2SO4 = MnSO4 + K2SO4 + Fe2(SO4)3 + H2O

Within less than a minute, she had an answer, which she proudly said aloud.

"The correct answer is... 2 KMnO4 + 10 FeSO4 + 8 H2SO4 = 2 MnSO4 + K2SO4 + 5 Fe2(SO4)3 + 8 H2O. And yes, that is correct."

Chris let out a yawn. "Boring, too much math, blah blah blah."

Chef rolled his eyes. "You could've at least added something to make it fun, nerdette. Dental surgery was more entertaining."

"You had no flair," Yowie groaned. "It's a no from me."

"Two points!" Chris dictated.

Scarlett pushed the board over and cracked it in half, causing Chris to pull out his phone and put 911 on speed-dail.

Izzy walked out on stage covered in pillows, tied to her body with rope. She lugged a cannon behind her.

"Today I'll be shooting myself with an eight pound cannon ball! Watch and learn, peeps!"

Izzy lit the fuse and took a few steps back. She held her arms out wide and closed her eyes. The cannon fired and missed her completely, but a scream echoed from backstage.

"Why is it always the _kiwis_?!"

Izzy chuckled. "Hehe. Sorry, Owen!"

Chris shrugged. "Not bad. A failure, but I laughed."

"Yeah, it was pretty suspenseful," Chef agreed.

Yowie clapped. "This is what we're looking for! Bold new acts with room to grow and ways to up the ante."

"Seven points!" Chris said.

Izzy ran off stage and Noah took her place.

"Alright, Sir Sarcasm," Chris yawned. "What's your talent?"

Noah said nothing. He just stared at Chris with a dull, emotionless expression.

"Dude, I can't play games. Just tell us your talent."

...

"This isn't funny, man!"

...

"Gah! This is why I didn't want you back! But the fan girls just had to send those emails and now you're doing it again! Why are you so annoying?!"

...

"Answer me!"

"Meh. That was my talent."

"What?! That wasn't a talent! That was just you being annoying!"

Chef and Yowie chuckled as Chris went ballistic.

"Exactly. My talent is annoying people to get hilarious responses."

Chris thought about it and shrugged. "I'll give ya that. That _is_ talent. Five points! All in agreement?"

The other judges nodded.

"Team Evil rounds it out with scores of 10, 7, 5, and 2, giving them an average score of 6! Team Horsepower is up next!"

* * *

Jo stepped up with a bench press set up. "I'll be benching 200 pounds with just my legs. Watch and learn, McLean."

Jo laid down on the flat stool and propped her feet under the pole. Using all her might, she pushed up, extending her legs straight and back down ten times until she gave out. When she stood up, her legs turned to jelly and she was forced to brace herself on the equipment.

"Now that's beastly," Chef said in admiration. "Best so far."

"Definitely," Chris agreed. "Yowie?"

"It was crazy!" exclaimed the guest host. "I live for acts that surprise me, and little lady, you surprised me."

Jo let out a snarl "Little?!"

Chris revealed Jo's score. "Ten points. Who's next?"

Lightning stepped on stage and flexed his muscles. "I'm Lightning, and today, I will share with you chumps my gorgeous muscles. Just look at how the sweat trickles down my hunky-dunky frame. See how each muscle is ripping through the skin. Bask in the general awesomeness of me!"

The judges were silent.

Backstage, Jo turned red with rage and hissed harshly to Brick. "He was supposed to do a magic act! What is he doing?!"

Lightning kissed his muscles one last time. "Let me hear it, host dudes. Gimme dat perfect score!"

"One point!" Chris groaned. "Next!"

Lightning froze and glared at Chris. "Hol' up, Chris. I think you got my score wrong."

"Nope. That sucked. Next!"

Lightning cursed his way off stage and passed by a terrified Geoff. The party boy offered a high-five and was left hanging.

"I'll be doing skateboarding tricks, dudes," said Geoff, now pretty confident. He stepped back and hopped on his board, letting inertia carry him forward. Using his back leg, he flipped into the air and grabbed his board, falling perfectly on the wheels. He then leaned back and balanced himself on the two back wheels as he spun around and around, finishing up with a flying kick and catching his board.

Chris clapped. "Pretty lackluster, but without ramps, that was sweet."

"Yeah," Chef chuckled. "Better than I could do."

Yowie's eyes bulged. "Loved. It."

"Eight points!"

Geoff pumped his fist. "Suh-weet!"

* * *

**Confessional**

Geoff laughs. "That was awesome, man. I can't believe I pulled those off!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Brick stepped up and pulled out a microphone. "Today, I'll be performing a quick stand-up routine. Ahem... Why was the ear of corn promoted in the army?"

"Why?!" asked an intense Yowie.

"Because... he was a _kernel!_"

Chris and Chef raised their brows while Yowie yowled like a hyena.

"Thank you, thank you, but why did the chicken cross the US/Canada border?"

Yowie whispered to the other hosts. "Oh my God, I think this is gonna be good!"

"To dodge the draft!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAhaahahaaaaa!"

"What did the army couple put on their invitation? Something old, something new-k! Get it? As in nuke?"

"DON'T STOP! HAHAHAHA!"

"Why-"

"That's enough, Brick," Chris said, putting a hand up to stop the cadet. "Five points, and only to shut Yowie up."

"Come on! That was golden!" Yowie begged. "Give the man a ten!"

"No. Next!"

* * *

**Confessional**

Brick shrugs. "I guess my jokes just weren't for him. Still, I put a lot of work into those."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Sky was last on stage for her team and performed a boring series of gymnastics on sets of bars. A few flips here and there, a couple cartwheels, some handstanding, and amazing dexterity earned her a seven out of ten.

"And that's it for Team Horsepower," Chris announced. "With an average score of... 6.2, Team Horsepower takes the lead by a fifth of a point. Let's see if Team Vengeance can steal the win."

* * *

**Confessional**

Courtney scoffs and smiles. "My act will blow them all away. As a violinist with six years under her belt in the school orchestra, my chances of winning are through the roof."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Scott walked out on stage first, dragging a heavy object covered with a sheet behind him. He stopped and wiped off the sweat.

"Feast your eyes on this piece of art!"

Scott yanked the white cover off to reveal a four foot tall Chris head resembling a massive immunity idol.

Chris was beaming with joy while Chef and Yowie just sat in confusion.

Scott pulled out a knife. "Used this baby to whittle away for an hour. Pretty sick, eh?"

"Tell me about it!" Chris giggled. "So much... me. Ten points!" He turned to his co-judges. "No objections."

Scott smirked and dragged his head backstage while Rodney walked out, sweating profusely.

"And what will you being doing, Rodney?" Chris asked, tapping his pen on the table.

"I'll, uh, be reading a p-poem I wrote for my g-girlfriend."

"A _girlfriend_?" Chris asked suspiciously.

"Yeah. Here goes nothing..."

Chef and Yowie leaned forward to get a better volume.

"_My cheeks are... red. My heart is... blue. I think we can make it; how about you?"_

Rodney ended with a bow. Chris snickered with the other judges and the farmer ran off crying.

"That's a two pointer just for the laugh," Chris said. "Next?"

* * *

**Confessional**

Rodney huddles up like he's trying to stay warm. "Courtney probably thinks I'm a total loser now. Why did Scott have to be so good with his knife?!" He pauses and gasps. "That's it!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Eva walked out on stage with a bag of wood blocks and the others, except Rodney for some reason, watched her take a bow.

"I'll be breaking wood blocks with my head. Yeah, that's pretty much it."

"Sounds cool," Yowie said, smiling.

"It's not, you prissy dink," Eva hissed. "It really hurts."

Yowie retreated to the back of his seat, leaning back as far as possible.

Chris motioned for her to get started.

The female bully laid out three blocks on top of each other, making a stack six inches thick and took a deep breath. With a swift strike downwards, her forehead smashed through the planks, sending splintered wood flying everywhere. Eva tumbled around in a dizzy dance and recollected her composure. She took a bow.

"Interesting," Chris said.

"Could've been more flashy," Chef added. "Girl didn't even think about the show."

"Meh," said Yowie with a shrug.

"Six points!"

* * *

**Confessional**

Eva rolls her eyes. "Six points? Wow, they really know talent when they see it... not!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Next up was Dave, carrying a large box. On each hand was a sock, one blue and one pink. He cleared his throat and sat behind the box. "I will be performing a puppet show. I call it... _Heartbreak_."

The whiny wimp sunk behind the box and the blue hand shot up. In a regular Dave voice, it spoke. "Wow! What a great day! I just wish there was someone to share it with..."

The pink hand slowly ascended and spoke in a frilly, girly voice. "I could be with you!"

"Wow! Really?"

"Oh, yes!"

"But... Do you like me?"

"Yeah!"

"OMG I like you too!"

The two hands met for a short 'kiss' and went back below the box.

The blue hand popped up and sulked around. The pink hand arrived and asked what was wrong.

"I just want you to have a chance at getting a million dollars and I'm sacrificing myself!"

The pink hand was silent. Suddenly, it exploded. "Well go! I hate you!"

The blue hand cried and fell down before the pink hand retreated again. Seconds later, it shot back up with the blue hand.

"You need to help me win!" the pink hand said with desperation.

"Why?"

"Because this!" The pink hand kissed the blue hand again and they both rejoiced. "Also, I have a boyfriend. Enjoy losing and being led on and being toyed with and going bald and-"

"NOOOOOOOO!" The blue hand convulsed and fell down as the pink hand laughed.

Dave stood up. "And so ends our tragic tale!"

The judges gave the teen uncomfortable stares.

* * *

**Confessional**

Sky shudders. "It's like watching all my-our-his! I mean _his _mistakes all over again. Hehe."

**End Confessional**

* * *

"Definitely original," said Chris.

"Props for using actual props," Chef added.

"Brilliant and thought-provoking, if kind of weird," Yowie concluded.

"Six points!"

Dave smirked in Sky's direction and dragged his stuff off stage.

* * *

Backstage, Courtney had just returned from the restroom when she let out a massive scream of terror. The strings of her violin had been cut clean through.

"What happened?!" she panicked. "Who did this?!"

Rodney took a step back and looked at Scott's back pocket. "Gasp! He has a knife!"

Courtney turned her anger to Scott. "Did you do this?! Did you?!"

"No way!" Scott said in his defense. "I'm over throwing challenges!"

"Prove it!"

"I got us a ten point score!"

Rodney entered the fray. "Yeah, to cover your tracks, liar!"

"I'm telling you it wasn't me!"

Courtney threw her broken violin at the wall and grabbed Scott by the collar. "If we lose, you're so eliminated!"

Dave shrugged. "I can get behind that."

Eva grabbed Scott from the CIT. "Throwing challenges is for wimps like you. Just be glad I have a headache right now and can't rip out your lungs."

Scott was dropped and backed his sweaty, nervous self into a corner.

"Hello!" shouted Chris. "We need our last performance!"

Courtney growled. "I'll think of something!" She ran on stage and was met with confusion.

"Didn't you have a violin?" Chris asked.

"Yes, I did, as a matter of fact. However, someone believed they could sabotage my efforts and cost us the win."

"Well, what now?"

Courtney huffed and puffed with her head lowered, engaged in deep thought. "I will..."

"Stand there doing nothing?"

"No! I'll be ranting!"

Chris raised his brow. "Really? Is that a talent?"

"Noah got a five by doing less," Courtney pointed out.

"Proceed."

* * *

**Confessional**

Scott whittles away at some wood. "I don't know who cut those strings, but it wasn't me! I bet it was Rodney! The guy practically framed me!" He takes a pause. "Huh? So this is how it feels..."

(Static)

Rodney flushes a pair of scissors down the toilet. "It worked! We'll lose and they'll all vote off Scott! Courtney, my darling flower, I'm doing this for us."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Courtney opened her mouth and let it all out...

"I've been playing this game for _four _seasons, going on _five_. For your information, that is a Total Drama record. Every season I compete in, I'm always cheated out of the million dollars. Season one: Harold rigs the votes. Season two... moving on! Season three: You cheap out with a double elimination. Season five: You change the challenge on me! This is _so _unfair and I've had enough. And just now, we're on the verge of victory and I'm cheated again! I don't know if it was my own team or someone else's, but I'm sick of this bull! Every season is rigged against my obvious success and I'm done with it! I've tried playing nice and I've tried playing cold, but this show always finds a way to destroy my chances! Enough is enough! (Bleep) this and (bleep) _you, Chris_!"

Courtney stormed off stage with fumes running from her ears. The cast moved away to let her pass behind the curtain.

Chris shrugged. "Nice argument, but insulting the host? Not a good move. One point, and only because I'm grateful this is over. With a total score averaged to 5 points, Team Vengeance loses _again_! And once again, Team Horsepower steals first place!"

The cast walked back on stage and did whatever. Some cheered, some cried, some hugged, some shrugged, some pushed others to the floor and kicked them in the kiwis.

Chris led the judges on stage and thanked Yowie for being a special guest.

"No problem, Chris. Any time."

Chris extended his hand for a shake and the guest yelped. "No! You've been touching that pen! It could have bacteria on it!"

"Don't worry," Noah deadpanned. "It's perfectly clean. All the germs left to jump on you."

Yowie began hyperventilating and jumped off stage to escape as tears streamed from his eyes.

Chris shrugged. "That was weird, but who cares? It's time to vote off another loser."

All eyes on Team Vengeance went to Scott, who stomped his foot and growled.

Chris smiled. "Well, that's what _I would say _if this wasn't a _reward challenge_! Suckers, hehe."

"Thank God!" Scott gasped.

Rodney and the rest of the team sneered towards the devious redneck.

"So what's our reward?" Lightning asked. "A stay in this sha-fabulous hotel?"

"I could use it," Geoff said, rubbing his tired eyes.

"Yes, yes, but today, everyone wins reward!" Chris threw his hands up and two interns walked a long table on stage behind them. Seven covered plates rested on it's shining surface. "Welcome to Total Drama's first ever Auction Reward!"

"Uh, what?" Jo asked, confused. "We don't have any cash."

Chris shook his hands in front of his chest. "No no! You won't be using real money. Instead, you'll be bidding on our special prizes using the points you earned in the show. There's food (for Owen) and other surprises."

"Do any of these _surprises _include a bomb?" Dave asked in disbelief.

_"_Funny idea, but no. Everyone take a seat in the front row and prepare to play!"

* * *

**Confessional**

Jo smirks. "Chances are there's a game advantage in there somewhere. I want it and no one's stopping me."

(Static)

Scarlett adjusts her glasses and groans. "Two points doesn't even buy a pack of gum."

(Static)

Owen prays to God. "Please let there be ribs. Please let there be ribs."

(Static)

"Lightning only needs one point to win the big sha-bam! Just you watch!" The jock goes back to flexing his muscles. "Mmm... sexy beast!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Chris stepped off stage and Chef, dressed in black robes and a powdered wig, rolled a lectern on stage and beat it with a hammer. "This auction is about to begin! Here's how it's going down, fruitcakes! I'll put up a covered item and you'll all bid on it using the tokens you were given. If we get a tie, we go to a coin toss. Now ready your tokens, because it's time to get this auction started!"

* * *

**Points**

**Brick: 5**

**Courtney: 1**

**Dave: 6**

**Eva: 6**

**Geoff: 8**

**Izzy: 7**

**Jo: 10**

**Lightning: 1**

**Noah: 5**

**Owen: 10**

**Rodney: 2**

**Scarlett: 2**

**Scott: 10**

**Sky: 7**

* * *

Chef snapped his fingers and a lone spotlight shined down upon the first item.

"So, who's going first?" Chef asked.

"One token," Noah said with disinterest.

"Ten tokens!" Owen shouted. "All in baby!"

"Dude! Seriously?" Noah scorned his friend. "All ten?"

"Anyone care to match that?" Chef asked. "If not, sold to Tubby over there!"

Owen whooped and ran up the stage to get his prize. He lifted the cover and was blasted with smells of smoke and deliciousness.

"Ribs?! Dreams _do _come true!"

He dug into the large rack of juicy ribs and downed them all by the time his butt was back in the seat.

"Item number two will also remain covered," Chef said.

"Three!" Izzy shouted.

"Four!" came Brick.

"Five!" Scott yelled.

...

"Sold to Scott for five tokens!"

Scott snickered and ran down the aisle, kicking Rodney in the foot on his way down. When he pulled the cover off, his plate was glowing with red and gold.

"Buttered lobster! Ooo-la-la!" Scott took a bite and shuddered. "So... perfect."

* * *

**Confessional**

Owen sighs. "Maybe spending all my money on ribs _wasn't _a good idea..."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Item three was put in the spotlight and Jo's hand shot up.

"Two!"

"Four!" Lightning boomed.

"You don't even have that much," Jo growled.

"Three!" said Sky.

Jo raised her hand. "Six!"

Sky went silent.

"Sold to Ms. Sweatpants for six!"

Jo cracked her knuckles and ran to claim her prize. When she lifted it, she found a six pack of cokes and a burger.

"Dang it! I wanted an advantage..." she mumbled to herself.

* * *

**Confessional**

Scarlett rolls her eyes and scoffs. "All these peons betting on food. Pathetic. There's obviously going to be an advantage at some point."

(Static)

Geoff shrugs. "I know there's more than food up there, but I'm kind of scared to bet on something, man."

(Static)

Noah rolls his eyes. "I'm sure _every _prize will be absolutely amazing. I might as well push up the bids to troll everyone if I'm not going to buy anything."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Item four went up and Sky put in all seven chips. No one dared to go higher and Sky claimed her prize: a giant pancake breakfast.

Item five went up and there were quite a few bidders.

"Two!" came a sardonic Noah.

"Three!" Brick shouted.

"Six!" came Dave.

...

"Sold to Dave!"

Dave lifted the cover and got a bowl of rice and a glass of water. He sighed and dragged himself back to his seat.

"Nice win," Eva said jokingly.

Dave took a bite and gagged at the blandness. "T-thanks..." Another spoonful and something caught his eye in the mush. A small piece of plastic was hiding among the rice and Dave pulled it out, stuffing it in his pocket as quickly as possible.

"Item six!" Chef shouted. "Who wants it?!"

"Me!" Izzy jumped up. "Seven!"

"Eight, bro!" came Geoff.

"Sold for eight!"

"Yeah, man!" Geoff stumbled up the stairs and lifted the cover to find a batch of fresh baked cookies. He took a bite and felt the warm chocolate running down his throat. "So good. Just like mom used to make."

The last item went up and only Scarlett showed interest.

"What?" she asked when nobody bid against her.

"Every prize has been good food," Scott said. "Odds are the last one is the trap."

No one was brave enough to go for it, so Scarlett got the last item with just two points.

"Watch," Jo said. "It'll blow up."

"Or it's literally nothing," Courtney giggled.

Scarlett lifted the cover and found a piece of paper, rolled up into a scroll.

Jo's jaw dropped. "No way."

Scarlett unraveled the paper and saw two words that stuck out. _Immunity _and _idol_. She panicked and ended up falsifying the rest aloud.

"Congratulations. You've won nothing. Enjoy."

Jo sighed a breath of relief and the others laughed.

Scarlett returned to her seat and Noah nudged her shoulder.

"Knew it."

* * *

**Confessional**

Scarlett reads the paper. "Congratulations. You've won a clue to the location of a hidden immunity idol. Through dark tunnels, your path must go. The treasure you seek, high, not low... Interesting."

(Static)

Dave pulls out the coin and reads the small text on the back. "Put this chip inside any passport to make your vote _count as two?! _Wow! This is so cool! Sky, prepare to go down!"

(Static)

Jo snarls. "No advantage? Seriously? What a ripoff. I don't even like coke!"

(Static)

Brick cracks open a soda. "It's nice of Jo to share this with me and Lightning. What a team player. Still, I wish Sky and Geoff could get some." He takes a swig and feels something blocking the soda. He drinks the rest and rips the can open to find a chip inside. "Congratulations! Put this chip inside any passport to cancel that person's vote? Jo was right! There was an advantage. I need to tell her right away!" He pauses. "Or... do I?"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Chris stepped up on stage once the teens had left. "Three advantages, new rivalries, old flames, and fourteen teens! See how everything plays out, next time, on Total Drama... World Tour... Round Trip!"

* * *

**Eliminated: Max, Zoey, Dawn, Jasmine**

**Team Horsepower: Jo, Brick, Lightning, Geoff, Sky**

**Team Vengeance: Courtney, Scott, Rodney, Dave, Eva**

**Team Evil: Scarlett, Noah, Izzy, Owen**

* * *

**~A/N~ And so we have our first reward challenge, complete with a game changing twist that won't play out as straight as you may think. The game has been changed. :)**

**Remember to vote on the new poll if you haven't already, drop a review, favorite, and follow! I'll see you next time when we hit Southeast Asia! Foreseer... out!**

* * *

**Review Replies: Because the reviews were all about the same subjects, I'll just address them as a whole. Thank you to those who took the time to review and offer some criticism here and there. It will be put to good use.**

**About the concept: I'll definitely say that it's different from the Aftermath and I'm sorry if you really liked those, but I find them boring to write and wanted to do something new. I'm aware that the execution could be better, so I'm hoping a large selection of people will make it more interesting.**

**About Max: I'm glad most of you found him funny. He is a very fun character to write and has a plot, so expect him to drop in from time to time. To those who didn't like him, I can assure you he won't become a screenhog.**

**About Zoey: To those who really liked the direction I'm going with her character, thank you. I know taking someone like her, whose character is pretty blank, and making her into a more emotionally deep girl can be jarring, so thanks for supporting that decision. She is in the show without Mike and Cam for a reason. To those who didn't like her portrayal, I don't really know what to say. I'll definitely tone her emotions down next time and show some form of development, so watch for that. **

**About Dawn: I was pretty lost with her character and I'm pretty ashamed, but her plot hasn't really started yet, so there's room for development later on. I'll give ROTI a watch again to refresh myself on her and the other Gen 2 players before then. I won't let her go to waste.**

**About Jasmine: Not much to say here. It's good to see some praise and I'll definitely use her in the upcoming specials.**

**About Topher: Ah, yes. The only non-competing TD character. I won't go into details for spoiler reasons, but there's more to the guy than meets the eye. ;)**


	8. What Could Possibly Koh Rong?

**~A/N~ In honor of the latest batch of Survivor castaways, I'm dedicating this chapter to the twenty Second Chancers who wasted away for up to 39 days to win money. That's also why this challenge takes place in the same country.**

**Anyways, thanks again to those who reviewed, faved, and followed. Enjoy!**

* * *

_Episode 8: What Could Possibly Koh Rong?_

* * *

"Last time on Total Drama World Tour: Round Trip, the fortunate fourteen were dropped in Sin City, aka Las Vegas, to compete in a talent contest, judged by yours truly, Chef, and special guest Yowie Scandal. Team Horsepower won immunity for a fourth time, proving the power of brawn in this game. Team Vengeance ended up falling apart when Rodney framed Scott for sabotage, but our devious dirt farmer was spared by the revelation that it was all a reward challenge. In our Total Drama auction, food was up for grabs, along with a couple advantages that were snagged by Dave, Scarlett, and a lucky Brick. Today, fourteen will become thirteen when one more loser takes the drop. Find out whom right now, on Total Drama... World Tour... Round Trip!"

(The theme song plays)

* * *

In the dark cargo hold, Courtney sat with her arms and legs crossed. Rodney was sweating while sitting next to her. Dave and Eva sat opposite while Scott was tucked away behind crates, far away from the rest of his team.

"I can't believe we lost again," the CIT groaned. "This is all Scott's fault."

"Yeah, that was pretty horrible of him," Rodney agreed with a single nod. "I knew he was trouble when he stepped on the plane back in Canada."

"It's a shame," Dave sighed. "He was actually a good member to have in challenges... Well, the lack of hygiene was always disturbing, but he wasn't weak."

"Like you?" Eva snickered, bumping him with an elbow.

"Haha. Funny."

Scott listened to his team with grit teeth in his maw.

* * *

**Confessional**

Scott flips his knife around in his fingers. "I know I've thrown challenges in the past, but I'm trying to be a team player here! I know Rodney set me up and he's gonna pay. I just don't have any proof yet. All I know is that he wants Courtney and sees me as competition."

(Static)

"Squeeee..." Rodney squirms on the toilet. "I can't believe they bought it for so long. I just wish we could've voted Scott off yesterday. Today, I need to make sure we lose the challenge at all costs. Rodney, you are one smarty pants."

(Static)

"I can't believe Scott would betray me like that," Courtney whines. "I took his redneck butt on a date last season... in a mine... with Zeke... and toxic waste. Y'know, maybe it's for the better that we stay apart."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Team Evil sat in Economy Class with Noah and Owen sharing a bench; Scarlett and Izzy sharing the other.

"We need to keep winning," Scarlett said. "All four of us are in an alliance and we can't afford to lose another member."

"There's always Eva," Izzy said. "Maybe we could even get Courtney and Dave."

"Really?" Noah asked. "Is that what she told you?"

"Who told whom?" Scarlett asked suspiciously.

Izzy received a nod from Noah and spoke. "Eva, Noah, and I are in an alliance too: Team E-Scope. She's been feeding me info all season."

"And what did she tell you?"

"Oh, nothing. Just that Scott and Rodney are fighting over Courtney, Courtney, Dave, and Rodney are in an alliance and Rodney is getting voted off for her, and she bonded with Courtney."

"That _is _interesting," Scarlett said, going into deep thought.

"Are we sure about it?" Owen asked. "Eva's not the nicest chick around."

"But she's loyal enough," Noah said. "Like a beefy puppy on roids."

"Eh. More like a trained gorilla," Izzy chuckled.

* * *

**Confessional**

Scarlett groans. "Perfect. Now I'm even more expendable than before. I just need to find the idol as soon as possible. I solved the first clue and determined the location to be in the luggage compartment above our heads, but with the others here, I have no window of opportunity and with Izzy sleeping up there every other night, my time is running out. This is just... infuriating."

(Static)

Noah rolls his eyes. "As if Scarlett got nothing at the auction. Who would stick a worthless piece of paper in their pocket unless it had value? There's more to that note than she's letting on, and I'm going to find out eventually."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Team Horsepower showed up for breakfast with full stomachs and rested bodies thanks to their long night in the Venetian back in Vegas. Brick, Jo, and Lightning, however, ate their eggs for the sake of gaining energy. Geoff and Sky sat next to each other, neither saying a single word.

Brick finished up and reached into his pocket to feel for the poker chip advantage. His hand felt something hard and he pulled out just as Jo turned towards him.

"So, how was the coke?"

"Uh, great," Brick answered.

Jo looked into Brick's eyes and noticed something odd about them. She ignored it and went back to eating.

"Who's ready to sha-smoke those chumps in the challenge?" Lightning scoffed. "With all this muscle, I'm ready for anything."

"Just eat, meat-head," Jo groaned, rolling her eyes.

Lightning shrugged and forked some eggs. He looked over to see Geoff nodding towards the confessional and back at him. Geoff got up and disappeared.

"Uh, excuse me. I have to, uh, go somewhere..." Lightning said, walking off after the party boy.

* * *

**Confessional**

Geoff hears a knock and Lightning steps inside. "What?" the jock asks.

"I just want to let you know that I don't blame you for the Jasmine thing. Okay? I overreacted. It's Jo I'm mad at, dude. Not you."

Lightning scoffs. "Ha! You think I'm mad at you too? Fool, I'm on your side. Lightning thought you knew that."

Geoff's eyes go wide. "Wait. You're not with Jo and Brick?"

"Sha-heck no. Jo got me voted off last time after promising an alliance. Lightning's only playing her like a fiddle."

"Then why didn't you vote her out in Arizona, dude? We had a chance!"

Lightning sighs. "Jasmine annoyed and yelled at the Lightning. I call that justice. But now it's time to hit Jo hard. You can count on Lightning's vote at the next elimination."

Geoff nods. "Okay, bro. Promise?"

"Sha-promise."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Chef came on the PA with a loud screech. "Hold on, chumps! We're making a landing, so sit yo butts down and grab something!"

Team Evil hugged onto Owen while everyone else grabbed onto their tables as the plane hit the runway.

The campers fell out of the door and found themselves surrounded by an expanse of dirt bordering an enclosing jungle. Thousands of bugs pestered the teens as they stood in the heat. Another plane rested next to them, surrounded by twenty adults of varying ages.

"Well, this sucks," Noah sighed.

Jo tugged at her sweaty pants. "Probably shouldn't have worn sweatpants this season."

"Where are we?" asked a dampened Sky with matted hair.

"Cambodia," Chris shouted from above. "We were going to throw you on the island of Koh Rong and force you to go all Hunger Games on each other, but another reality show had it booked. So, we have some rides coming to carry you to the mighty Mekong where you'll get the directions for the new challenge. Until then, just sit tight and don't die of heatstroke while I enjoy my special quarters, complete with A/C!" The door closed and the remaining players sat in the shade of the planes wing.

Sky shrugged. "It could be worse, right?"

"Not really," Courtney said. "It's over 100 degrees out here and we're lost in the middle of the jungle."

A couple of the people from the other group overheard this and scoffed.

"You think _you _have it rough?" a woman with a botox-ic face said in a low voice. "I have to spend, uh, two months on an island with nineteen people who lie and backstab. It's, uh, yeah..."

"Oh, shut up," Courtney growled.

"Aren't you from that Total Drama show?" asked a middle-aged woman with long red hair, glasses, and a wide grin.

"Unfortunately," Noah said with an eye roll.

"That show is childs play," the redhead snorted. "Hope you brought extra Huggies."

Brick stood up and pointed a finger at her. "Yeah, well what makes you so qualified to shun us? You've never even been on international television or competed in a reality competition."

"Yeah!" Lightning scoffed. "I'm amazing!"

The women raised their brows and walked away, leaving the teens confused.

Noah chuckled. "Oh, Brick. You _really _need to watch some TV."

* * *

**Confessional**

Brick sighs. "It's true. I've never even watched my own season. Heard the fans loved me though. Can't imagine why they wouldn't. The people love a hero."

**End Confessional**

* * *

The sound of insects was broken by the honking of a loud horn. The teens sat up to see a large truck with a long bed pulling up beside them. Inside, two interns were slaving away in the A/C-less vehicle.

"Finally," Sky panted, grasping at her dry throat.

"Lightning calls shotgun!" came the mega jock.

Jo pushed him down and stood over his tired body. "It's the back of a truck. There is no shotgun, _Brightning._"

Owen tried to pull himself up, but the sweat leaking from his pores had glued him to the pavement. Noah and Izzy grabbed his slippery arms and lifted him up.

* * *

**Confessional**

Scarlett groans. "It's apparent that merely waiting to find the idol is the wrong approach. The next time we lose, I'm on the way out unless I can injure one of them to the point of instant elimination... Sorry, I mean 'convince' the team to eliminate one of them. My mistake." Her eye twitches one before the screen cuts out.

**End Confessional**

* * *

The cast sat silently in the back of the truck as it roared down dirt roads. Stray branches poking out from the jungle attacked the those who sat near the edge or had the height to reach them.

Scott turned to a carsick Dave. "Back on the farm, I go on rides three times this rough."

Courtney lifted her head. "No one. Cares."

"Well, excuse me for trying to comfort our teammate," Scott retorted. "I don't see you trying to help anyone."

"And when are you so eager to help?" Noah asked, butting into the conversation. "You're acting _very _out of character, dude."

"Why are you even a part of this?" Courtney asked the bookworm.

"Meh. I go wherever I can be witty and poke at people's flaws."

"Well, don't joke with ours. This is a Team Vengeance problem, not a Noah problem." Courtney turned her cheek and Noah went back to smirking in silence.

Rodney sat behind the rest of his team, watching the tension build with a slight smile on his face.

* * *

**Confessional**

Rodney chuckles. "All we have to do is lose and Courtney is mine. I'll make of both of those things."

(Static)

"I'm not blind," Noah says. "I've seen what's going on. Scott is in danger and, like a puppy, he's trying to act all nice and _cute _to lessen the punishment. It's actually pretty hilarious... in a pathetic kind of way."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Brick was thrown into Jo at a speed bump and the jockette quickly pushed him off with a "Watch it!"

"Sorry," Brick winced. "Accident, I swear."

"Yeah, I know. It's just fun to freak you out."

Brick scowled. "Hey, if you want respect, you need to be respectful yourself. For the team and for the win."

Jo scoffed and pushed Brick in the shoulder. "Since when has being respectful ever won anyone the million on this show?"

"Good point, but it _does _getyou_ farther_ in the game." The cadet rubbed his pocket and felt the rough outline of the poker chip.

"I'll believe it when I see it, Sir Leaks-a-lot."

"He's right," Geoff mumbled.

"Hey, no comments are necessary, Party Boy."

Geoff snorted. "Weak nicknaming, bra. Partying is a way of life, not something to be ashamed of, man."

Jo raised a finger to protest, but stumbled over her thoughts and shrugged. "Whatever, just remember who's leading us to victory."

"Lightning?" came the dark-skinned jock. "It's sha-totally Lightning!" As Lightning started to brag more, a bug flew down his throat and silenced him with a final squeal.

* * *

**Confessional**

Jo taps her fingers on the countertop. "Lightning is dumb, but I know he's smart enough, or dumb enough, to make a move. As far as I know, he's in my alliance, but I've never trusted him 100%. Brick should be with me until he takes the drop though, but Lightning is a wildcard. I've got my eye on him."

(Static)

Sky sighs. "I really wanted to show her up, but this is a million dollar game and letting Geoff take the hits is safe for _my_ game_._ We're in a minority alliance to Jo's Revenge of the Island trio and I really don't want to be first on their hit list."

**End Confessional**

* * *

The truck squealed to a stop and the contestants plopped their feet into ankle deep mud. The interns inside the truck threw each team a walkie talkie, caught by Courtney, Noah, and Jo, the last of which pushed Geoff to grab it.

"Attention, campers!" Chris chortled from within the confines of the radios. "Welcome to Cambodia. More specifically, Phnom Penh, it's crummy capital. Today, the fourteen of you will be racing down the Mekong River to the capital city using three long-tailed boats until you find the Koh Dach Ferry Docks. Once you dock at the dock, find the intern to get your next challenge. Oh, and watch out for the dementor wasps! Their stings are known to cause hallucinations and zombify their victims, hehe. McLean, out!"

"You call those _instructions_?!" Sky groaned. "I barely caught any of that."

"Doesn't matter!" Jo barked. "Let's go!"

Team Horsepower took off and claimed an early lead. Team Vengeance was a little slower while Team Evil was forced to slow down for Owen.

* * *

**Confessional**

Rodney scratches his head. "It's gonna be tough, but I can do this. All I have to do is make sure we lose and Scott is gone. I just hope we suck enough."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Rodney noticed how far ahead of Team Evil his own group was and 'tripped' in the mud, whining in pain when he turned over.

"What's wrong?!" Eva snarled. "Get your lazy butt up and move the frick on!"

Rodney sobbed and grabbed his kneecap, being quite overdramatic. "My knee is killing me! Can you... carry me?"

Eva pulled him up and slapped him across the face, leaving a muddy handprint. "Just try and keep up. Even Dave is ahead."

"Yes, lady... girl... ma'am?" Rodney stuttered long enough to see Team Evil come around the bend in the jungle path, forcing Eva to pull him through the mud and branches to keep their lead.

* * *

**Confessional**

Eva clenches her fists until her knuckles pop. "He's gonna be a pain today, isn't he? We'll, he can get himself voted off if he wants, because I ain't babysitting that runt. That's for sure!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Team Horsepower arrived at the riverbank first. The wide stretch of water smelt of sewage, but the long expanse of jungle and greenery was quite the sight to behold. Three boats, each about thirty feet long with a makeshift motor at the stern, were partially beached on the muddy bank. Jo and Lightning pushed their boat into the water and climbed aboard just as Courtney arrived alone.

Jo smirked. "What? Your team left you?"

Courtney looked behind in shock. Only Scott emerged from the bushes, leaving Dave, Eva, and Rodney missing in action.

"Later, C. !" Jo cackled, revving up the motor and driving her team of five into the open water.

"Scott, get in the boat. Now!" Courtney barked, the CIT's eyes blazing red.

"Psh, whatever," Scott snorted, taking his time crawling inside.

Dave, dripping with sweat and covered in mud and bugs, emerged from the woods in a state of shock. Behind him was Eva carrying Rodney like a doll. Both boys looked like corpses while Eva could fit into a Rambo movie.

She dropped Rodney and stomped her way past Courtney to get in the oversized canoe. Courtney threw Dave and Rodney over the side before jumping in herself and starting the motor.

* * *

Team Evil, or just Scarlett and Izzy ran from the woods and leapt into the boat. Noah joined seconds later and helped pull a sweat-drenched Owen into the boat, making it too heavy to be pushed into the river.

"What do we do?" Owen panicked. "We're in last place!"

"Well, we have two options," Scarlett explained in a calm, teacher-like voice. "We either gut you on the spot... or we leave you behind."

"Uh, what's option number three?" Owen said with a shudder.

"We all get out and push?" Noah deadpanned.

Scarlett blushed with embarrassment. "Fine. That will work."

* * *

**Confessional**

Scarlett shrugs. "If I don't kill small animals in my laboratory every now and then, I get a little... _unnerved_, to put it nicely. A week of these Neanderthals isn't helping either."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Jo stood on the front of the boat as Team Horsepower raced down the mighty Mekong. The jock-ette roared at Lightning and Brick the directions and times of turns needed to dodge other boats on the river.

Sky and Geoff stood off to the side, holding onto the railing, refusing to get involved for fear of incurring Jo's wrath.

* * *

Team Vengeance could barely make out the other teams, meaning they were effectively not losing, but playing monkey in the middle.

"Steer harder!" Courtney screeched just as the boat skimmed past a small fishing canoe. Water splashed like the great flood, knocking the local out of his shabby little log with one wave.

"I'm trying!" Eva roared. "The turn thing is sticky!"

"I can help!" Rodney gasped. "Let me at it. I'm a mechanic!"

"Yeah, right," Scott snorted. "That's-"

"Go for it!" Courtney barked.

Rodney stood up and fell into the motor when a wave knocked everyone off balance. Scott fell under the bigger boy and was crushed. Rodney, however, fell halfway off the side, just enough to see the wires that kept the motor running. He quickly snapped them off with his meaty hands as the team regained composure.

The boat sputtered to a stop, leaving Courtney seething with bloodlust. "What the (bleep) was that?! Don't tell me you broke it!"

Rodney went all red in the face. "It wasn't me! I swear. Scott fell into the motor and did something to it!"

Scott growled and pushed his rival to the deck. "Hey, that wasn't me! Get your facts right!"

"What's wrong?!" Dave whined in a panic. "Why'd we stop?!"

"The engine broke!" Scott replied. "It just stopped working."

Rodney stood behind Scott, pointing down at him while humming suggestively.

Everyone's angry eyes went to Scott and Rodney.

* * *

**Confessional**

Rodney smirks and fiddles with the toilet paper roll. "Told you I had a plan."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Team Evil passed up a placid Team Vengeance, laughing loudly as they went by.

"I can't believe they had boat trouble!" Izzy laughed. "Let's play too!"

Just as Izzy ran for the motor, Noah grabbed her arm. "Tsk tsk, Izzy. No boom boom. Got it?"

"Boom boom?" Izzy asked in a Spanish accent.

"You didn't?" Scarlett gasped. "Did you-"

"Explosivo is back for big booms, compadres!" Izzy flipped her hair around like she was seizing. "Where's the target. Explosivo is locked and loaded! Boom boom!"

Noah slapped his large forehead. "Owen, restrain her."

"Aye aye, captain!" Owen saluted before snagging Izzy in a bear hug. The crazy girl fought and fought, biting and kicking Owen in the arm and balls respectively.

* * *

**Confessional**

Owen grabs his balls in pain. "Whyyyyy?!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Team Venagance quickly worked to solve their motor problem, but Dave's discovery of some snapped wires brought nothing but hopelessness.

"Maybe we can paddle?" Dave asked sheepishly.

"Or we could have Scott push us?" Rodney beamed.

"Enough with the accusations!" Scott exclaimed, stomping his boot. "It wasn't me!"

"We'll believe it when we see the evidence," Courtney said. "And you have _no _evidence."

"Why would I throw a challenge when I know I'm on the bottom?!" Scott asked. "That makes no sense!"

Courtney paused. "True. But that doesn't mean you're off the hook."

"Oh, and _you're so _trustworthy?" The dirtboy sneered right in her face. "You've backstabbed in every season!"

"Shut the hell up already!" Eva roared, pushing the two apart. "This isn't helping!"

"_You_ have any ideas?" Dave asked sarcastically. "Let us hear it, then."

Eva crossed her arms and looked around. She noticed another boat of equal size to their own coming down the river.

"Watch this," she said with a grin. Eva stood up and waved her hands and the man in the boat pulled up next to them, speaking some kind of local tongue.

Eva randomly grabbed the man and tossed him overboard. She jumped in and gave the others a look that said "Come on!"

Courtney shrugged and jumped in. Rodney, Scott, and Dave followed behind and started up the motor. Team Vengeance was still in this.

* * *

Team Horsepower hit the ferry docks just outside the heart of the city and beached their boat in the sandy shore. In front of them were three giant pull carts with envelopes tied to the front. Beyond laid the city of Phnom Penh, a mass of shacks and slums with the occasional upper class building thrown in.

Jo ripped off the clue and read it aloud. "Pull your team to the Vearin Pagoda to the north and have only one person memorize a series of khmer letters. Head south to the Ly Heng III Furniture Shop and draw the series for a local salesman to find out where to go next." Jo scoffed. "Ooo, letters. Scary, huh? Try harder, McLame."

Lightning stepped up the cart and grabbed the two long poles sticking out the front. "Lightning will pull us to victory. Sha-bam!"

"Yeah, great," Jo said with a roll of her eyes. "Who's good with memorization?"

"Uh, me?" Sky suggested.

"Fine. Just don't screw up." Jo shot Sky with an intimidating stare before hopping in the cart.

* * *

**Confessional**

"So much for laying low," Sky sighs.

**End Confessional**

* * *

Team Evil arrived at the docks and beached their own boat. Noah read the clue and smirked. "Finally! A challenge for the brains."

"Izzy can pull!" the psycho chick giggled, grabbing the cart handles. "Vroom vroom!"

"It's Phnom Penh," Noah deadpanned. "Not NASCAR."

Owen jumped in the cart and took a seat in the back with Scarlett and Noah up front to watch over their driver.

* * *

**Confessional**

Owen sighs. "It sucks not having strong people on our team. I mean, Izzy's great and all, but I really wish we had some buff studs around here, y'know... No-wait! I didn't-"

(Static)

Scarlett stares menacingly into the camera. "If Izzy or Owen even think about slacking off in this race, I'll flay them alive and drench their bodies in boiling oil."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Team Vengeance arrived at the beach and read the clue.

"I'll do it!" Courtney said. "I took a course about Khmer online. Should be a cinch."

"I'll pull!" Rodney said, pushing Scott out of the way. "Muscles, don't fail me now!"

* * *

**Confessional**

Rodney chuckles to himself. "They think I'm helping them win?! That's funny."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Lightning dropped the cart in front of a yellowish pagoda surrounded by elegant bushes and trees, a sort of oasis in a mess of slums.

Sky jumped out and ran into the courtyard to find a board with a large set of symbols on it.

លោក រឿង ភាគ សរុប

Sky looked over every letter, memorizing their curves and lines... over and over. She tried to trace them on her palm until she could write a few without looking. Once she had them all down, after five minutes of cramming, she returned to the team.

"Well?" Jo asked. "What happened?!"

"There were a lot, but I think I got this."

"You think?" Jo raised her brow.

Sky's face got serious. "I _got this for sure_."

"You better be right..."

* * *

**Confessional**

"This sucks," Geoff says. "If we lose this, either Sky or me is going home. I just hope she got those symbols down. Too bad we didn't go look with her."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Team Evil and Team HP passed each other a minute later. Lightning shouted "Losers!" as he ran by, earning a rock to the head from Scarlett.

"Sha-ow! The heck was that?!"

"Doesn't matter!" Jo barked to a stopped Lightning. "Move it!"

* * *

Team Evil reached the pagoda and waited for Noah to get the series of letters down. The bookworm glanced at them for a few seconds before starting to sweat.

"Yeah, this is totally fair," he said sarcastically. "_Everyone _can memorize _that_. Thanks again, Chris."

* * *

Team Horsepower raced past Team Vengeance and to the south. They passed hundreds of shacks and street vendors until they found the furniture store where a local salesman sat under the TD logo. On the desk in front of him was a stack of parchment and a pen.

Sky jumped out and tried to recall the series, but had trouble past the third letter.

"Don't tell me you forgot it," Jo hissed. "You better get this right!"

Geoff stood back and let Sky take the heat when she gave up after the fifth letter. He wanted to jump in and stand up for her, but this was Jo we're talking about.

The local shook his head and shredded the parchment by hand, throwing the pieces on Sky like confetti at the worst party ever.

* * *

**Confessional**

Sky groans. "I almost had it. I just... gave in to pressure and then I went blank. Maybe I should let someone do the next one and hope for the best?"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Courtney got the symbols down and raced out of the pagoda just thirty seconds after Noah, who'd spent five minutes recording the series in his huge brain.

On the road, Team Vengeance passed up the slower Team Evil and ran by Team HP, now on their way back to the pagoda.

"Looks like they got it wrong," Dave snickered.

"Or that's the way to the next challenge," Eva suggested.

"Or... Yeah, maybe it is," Dave sighed. "Couldn't let me have that moment, could you?"

Suddenly, Rodney stopped in his tracks and grabbed his crotch. "Ah! I need to pee!"

"What?" Courtney asked. "Are you _kidding me_?! Keep going! You can go at the store!"

Rodney leaned over. "Ugh... bladder... exploding!"

"I know what that's like," Scott snickered. "Can barely walk, huh?"

Rodney gave his team the puppydog eyes until Courtney told him to go quickly. The farmboy ran off into the alleyway and laughed once he was out of earshot.

* * *

**Confessional**

"I didn't have to pee," Rodney says. "But they didn't know that."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Izzy wheeled her team past a stopped Team Vengeance until they reached the furniture store. Noah stepped up and got to work on writing the series.

Just as he got started, the glasses-wearing, redheaded, middle-aged woman from the runway randomly showed up with another three adults and snickered.

"Here for a high chair?"

Noah looked up and back down as he wrote. "No, but I think you might be lost. The adult diaper section is down aisle five."

The woman grinned devilishly. "Nice comeback. I don't need a book of them though."

"Was that a play on my tendency to read at inopportune times? Good one. Though you might want to read a book yourself. I hear self-help sells very well to the anti-social such as yourself."

"Oh, I know. See?" The woman grinned as she pulled out a copy of _How To Win Friends and Influence People._ "I can refer you to some great deals myself."

"No thanks," Noah yawned, handing his finished parchment to the local. "I'm good."

The man handed Noah the next envelope. The bookworm winked to the woman. She winked back.

* * *

**Confessional**

"Wow, she was good," Owen says. "She actually out-snarked Noah! What has life come to?!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Noah read the clue aloud. "Head to the Chroy Changvar bridge and send one member of your team into the Mekong to untie a bouy underwater. Collect the items inside."

"Sounds dangerous," Owen said. "Aren't there, like, giant fish down there?"

"Just the freshwater stingrays," Scarlett said with a gentle grin. "It can grow to widths of ten feet or more and possesses an eight inch barn at such a size."

Owen shuddered. "Maybe Izzy can do this one?"

* * *

A few minutes passed and Team Vengeance arrived at the furniture store. Courtney jumped out and scribbled down the letters as quickly as possible. She handed it in when she finished and was soon handed the envelope.

"Ha!" she squealed boastfully. "That's how it's done!" She jumped back in the cart and read the clue to her team as they kept pushing forward.

* * *

Ten minutes passed and Team Horsepower returned to get their clue. Sky went at it again and made quick work of the last few letters that had evaded her on the first try.

"It's about time," Jo growled, grabbing the clue from the Cree gymnast.

* * *

**Confessional**

Sky curls her fingers around an invisible neck. "I could strangle her right now if I didn't want that million dollars."

(Static)

"Lightning could've sha-slayed that challenge," the jock says. "I memorize football plays just like that. Sky ain't got nothing on that."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Team Evil, after ten minutes of traveling down the side of a noisy highway, came across two parallel bridges spanning across the Mekong. One had a small flag with the TD logo hanging off the side. When they arrived at the flag, they all looked over the side to find a large ring of small buoys in the water.

"And who's diving?" Noah asked. "Izzy?"

Before he knew it, Izzy was already spiraling off the bridge and making a splash. She popped her head up and gasped for air. "I can't see down there! Anyone have any lights?!"

"Just keep swimming until you find the buoy!" Scarlett shouted. "It's only thirty feet across, so just go from one end to the other!"

Izzy winked. "Sure thing, you sexy science chick!" She dove down again.

Noah and Owen looked at Scarlett with smiles on their faces.

"What?" Scarlett hissed. "I don't condone her weirdness."

"You should totally make out already," Noah chuckled, causing Scarlett to turn away in embarrassment.

Team Vengeance caught up and stopped beside Team Evil. Eva dove into the ring as both teams waited for a buoy to rise.

"How long have you guys been here?" Dave asked the enemies.

"About two minutes," Noah replied. "So, how long have you been growing that hair out?" he said, tickling Dave's somewhat short hair.

"A while," the whiny brat replied, setting his hair back into place. "Going bald isn't exactly easy to recover from."

"Just ask Heather," Noah said with a grin.

Suddenly, a buoy popped up and Izzy grabbed it. Team Evil cheered her on as she collected an envelope and a small key from inside of the plastic ball.

"Swim to shore!" Owen told her. "We'll meet you there!"

Izzy and the rest of her team left Team Vengeance in a state of suspense as Eva continued to look for the rope holding the buoys down.

Rodney, still sitting in the cart, noticed the constant stream of cars whizzing by and had an idea. He slowly crawled out and inched it closer to the road, hoping to break it into pieces. Unfortunately for him, Scott grabbed it just in time and pushed Rodney down.

However, and unfortunately for Scott, Courtney saw the smaller ginger as the culprit and shoved him to the ground.

"What is your problem?!" she roared in his face.

"It was Rodney!" Scott said in a panic. "He's trying to throw the challenge just like he did in Vegas."

Courtney crushed Scott's wrist. "Any proof?" she asked through grit teeth.

"Eva got it!" Dave cheered. "Come on!"

Courtney got off Scott and ran off with Dave and the cart. Rodney slided past Scott with a devilish grin on his blocky face. "Enjoy the Drop of Shame, you Courtney stealer!" he whispered in Scott's ear.

* * *

**Confessional**

Scott stabs the wall with his knife. "Even with proof, they _still _wouldn't believe me! Rodney has more brains than I thought. But I ain't going down without a fight! Momma didn't raise a quitter!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Team Horsepower arrived at the bridge last and sent Lightning into the water to find the last buoy.

Brick approached Jo. "Ma'am, is there any foreseeable way to take back first place? In not trying to be the Negative Nancy here, but-"

"Oh, we'll get back in the race," Jo said. "I just hope one of those other teams has a blowout."

"And what if we lose?" Geoff scoffed. "Then what?"

"Then we vote either you or Mrs. Splits off tonight," Jo said with a sly smile. "Unless one of both of you can vote twice."

Brick's hand went to his pocket and felt for the poker chip. "Still there," he whispered.

"What's still there?" Jo asked.

"Oh, uh, Lightning. He's been holding his breath for a while."

"Yeah, maybe he got eaten down there. Meh. Not my problem."

Lightning popped up with a buoy. "Sha-score one for Lightning!"

"Great job!" Brick shouted. "Meet us at the shore!"

Lightning gave a thumbs up and swam off to the other side of the bridge.

* * *

Scarlett read the clue aloud to her team. "Travel west to the barren plain in the heart of Phnom Penh and dig in the marked zone to find a chest. Unlock it to receive the location of the finish line."

"Sounds easy," Noah said.

"Super easy!" Izzy jumped on Scarlett, soaking her clothes with nasty river water.

The genius pushed her off and climbed in the cart. "Just pull us already."

* * *

Dave opened the envelope and read the note inside.

"Digging for treasure?" Courtney hummed. "Sounds too easy."

"Easy or not, let's just go!" Eva barked, slapping Rodney.

The farmboy went off like a whipped horse.

* * *

Lightning opened the clue and stared at the page. "Oh, yeah. Lightning can't read this. It's too wet," he said, handing it to Geoff.

"I can make out a _west, _a _dig, _a _zone_, and a _finish."_

That must be the finish line!" Brick gasped. "Or at least what leads up to it."

"I don't care what it is," Jo snorted. "Just get us moving, 'kay?"

* * *

**Confessional**

Brick pulls out the poker chip advantage. "I really need Jo to stay. She's a target that's not me and can definitely give me an edge in voting. She and I are also pretty close in a way. On the other hand, she'll chew me up and spit me out in a flash. Maybe I should just hold on to this thing for a little bit."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Team Evil was carted through a circular town square and down a poorly placed asphalt road until they reached what appeared to be a small, sandy desert in the center of the city. No treads, no plants, just orange sand and dirt. About thirty feet off road were three one hundred square foot areas marked by orange tape and TD flags.

"Pick a section and dig!" Scarlett ordered. "Don't stop until you find a chest!"

Suddenly, the small walkie talkie in her pocket roared to life. "Not so fast!"

"What is it, you waste of skin?!"

"Hehe," Chris chuckled. "Only one team per section. And no switching!"

Scarlett threw the radio into the ditch and led her team into the nearest zone.

* * *

**Confessional**

Scarlett pouts. "Every time I hear his voice, I picture a sharp blade in his right eye and a stick up his-"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Rodney carted his team to the sand pits. Courtney jumped out and ran off to dig. Eva handed Dave the key from the buoy and told him to stay put.

"Ewwwwww..." Dave whined. He looked around and handed it to Rodney, wiping his hands on his pants before joining the girls.

Scott gave Rodney a glare as he slided by.

Team Evil kept digging in their zone. Izzy dug like some kind of roid-raged meerkat, Owen dug like some obese kid at the beach building a sand castle, Scarlett dug one hand at a time, and Noah just watched the others, kicking up some dirt here and there.

Owen's hand hit something hard. "Hey guys! I found it!"

All eyes on Team Vengeance looked to Owen and back to the dirt as the other Evils helped Owen uncover the chest and open it up.

Noah read the clue to his team. "Find Chris at the Royal Palace and cross the finish line."

"Nice! Let's win this!" Owen whooped.

When Team Evil got back to the cart, Team Horsepower had just arrived and gone out to dig.

* * *

**Confessional**

Noah smirks and gives a thumbs up. "See what brains gets you? An awesome win and a chance to rub it in the faces of those OP snobs."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Courtney and Eva dug out handfuls of sand, clouding the air with dust. Dave stood nearby, cheering them on.l while Rodney casually tossed the key into the nearby sand.

"You can help y'know?!" Courtney screamed through her panic-induced digging spree.

"But that dirt's a litt-"

Eva grabbed Dave's arm and pulled him into the fray. "Dig, fool!"

Jo, Lightning, Brick, Geoff, and Sky joined together and dug from one end to the other. Sky felt something hard along her edge and pulled out the small chest. Jo unlocked it and led her team to follow the final clue.

Courtney grabbed something in the sand and pulled out the chest. She frantically looked for the key and kept getting reffered to another teammate. First Eva, then Dave, then Rodney.

"Well, where is it?!" Eva asked the lovesick farmer.

Rodney shrugged. "I don't have it. Scott must've stolen it to slow us down!"

Courtney raised her brow.

Scott started to panic and waved his arms around. "How could I steal it?! I never even got close to you!"

Eva growled angrily, grabbed the chest and smashed it into road, breaking it apart.

"That works, hehe," Dave said, impressed by her quick thinking.

* * *

**Confessional**

Courtney slams her head on the counter in front of her. "This is getting ridiculous!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Team Evil rolled through the garden gates of the Royal Palace, just south of the sand pits. The ornate building stood like some ancient, Asian temple from another age. They dropped their cart on the finish line and ran to greet Chris and Chef.

"Team Evil, you win again!" the host announced.

Noah was squeezed tight by a gleeful Owen while Izzy planted a huge slobbery kiss on Scarlett's lips, causing her to freak and knee the crazy chick in the gut.

Chris looked over the four to see two teams racing for second place. Lightning and Rodney pulled and pulled as fast as they could. Rodney smirked and tripped a little bit, allowing Team Horsepower to take the lead.

However, in an unexpected twist of fate, Lightning ended up tripping on a small crack in the walkway and faceplanted, allowing Rodney to accidentally win for his team.

Chris greeted both losing teams with a clap. "Nice finish. A little sweaty, I presume?"

"Screw you," Jo panted, tugging at her drenched sweatpants.

"Nice to see you too," Chris said sarcastically. "Anyways, I have an announcement!"

All ears perked up.

"Eva, would you please read the clue found on your team's buoy?"

The muscle-woman pulled out the piece of paper and read the last line. "Unlock your chest... (bleep)! (Bleep)!"

"That's right!" Chris said narcissisticly. "You _broke _your chest open, so you technically cheated, which means Team Vengeance is heading to elimination... for real this time."

Courtney got down on her knees and screamed to the heavens. "Aghhhgghhgghghhgghhhhh!"

Rodney nudged Scott, who pushed back. Both boys locked together and fell to the ground in a ball of rage and hatred as Team Horsepower watched with delight.

Noah laughed at Courtney's pain. "Ah, excellent loss, I must say."

Courtney looked up with bloodshot eyes and red cheeks. "Shut. Up!"

Noah just shrugged. "Meh. I go wherever the _wit _takes me."

* * *

**Confessional**

Scarlett rubs her forehead. "I _wanted _second place so I could obtain that idol. Now I must sneak into economy class to get it. Perfect. Just perfect."

(Static)

Geoff swings Jasmine's hat around on his finger. "Another win and another chance to get Jo out. Jasmine, this is for you. Oh, and you too Bridgette. I swear that Jasmine thing wasn't sexual."

(Static)

"Yep," Rodney says, proud of himself. "I'm a manipulator of this game."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Team Vengeance took their seats in the elimination room as Chris started the ceremony.

"Well, it's not a surprise seeing you here," the host said. "Your third last place loss must hurt, huh?"

"No kidding," Courtney growled, directing her gaze towards the redheaded farmboys sitting below.

Chris turned to Rodney and Scott. "You two dudes are definitely the bad mojo around here. I think we can all agree on that. You're either fighting or swooning over Courtney. Scott, you've been throwing challenges."

"Wrong," Scott said, rolling his eyes in frustration. "I saw Rodney go all out today with the sabotage. He stopped to pee, tried to kill our cart, threw away the key, and tried to slip us up in the last seconds. He should go home, not me!"

"Rodney?" Chris asked. "Any words?"

Rodney stood up. "Yeah, I do. Scott is the most infamous villain in Total Drama history. You can't trust his word. Oh, and my pee break had nothing to do with our loss." He sat back down.

"Fair enough." Chris shrugged. "Ready to vote out your next loser?"

* * *

**Confessional**

Courtney stamps out an unknown passport. "Easiest. Vote. _Ever."_

(Static)

Rodney stamps out Scott multiple times. "Courtney is mine, you dirt eater!"

(Static)

Scott stamps out Rodney. "I hope you enjoy getting your karma, man. You've got so much coming your way..."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Chris read the votes and pulled out four bags.

"Courtney, Dave, and Eva are safe..."

The trio caught their symbols of safety and eagerly awaited the elimination.

"And the loser is..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Rodney!"

Rodney stood up and laughed at Scott as the dirtboy gasped in shock.

"Ha! You lose, Scott. My plan worked, and Courtney is all mine! Ha!"

Rodney looked over to see the other members of his team trying not to laugh. Scott caught his bag and just looked confused.

Chris threw Rodney a parachute. "Rodney, I have to say, throwing challenges left and right to get out a threat can work. Problem? You gotta be _smart_! You blew it. Big time."

Rodney started mumbling incoherently while pointing at members of his team. Courtney smirked and waved goodbye as Chris shoved him out the plane, his loud mumbling echoing throughout his fall until all went quiet.

"What just happened?" Scott asked in disbelief.

Courtney let out a proud scoff. "I knew Rodney was throwing this challenge all along. I just played along to see you squirm."

Scott sneered in her direction without making eye contact. "Wow, nice to know."

"You're still here though," she said. "Be happy we got sick of Rodney when we did, but don't think you're off the hook for Vegas just yet."

* * *

**Confessional**

Scott sighs. "That was close. Too close. But now that Rodney's done as Momma's dinner, it's time to get to winning that million and Courtney's heart. Eat it, you rip-off!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Chris and Chef sat in the cockpit as the latter flew the plane.

"Some blindside, huh, Chef?" Chris asked with his regular perma-grin.

"It would've been cooler if you had let the guy fully react."

"Yeah, but he was getting really annoying. Like, TDPI annoying. You can't put a camera on that for too long, y'know."

Chef shrugged.

"Wanna do the outro?" Chris teased.

Chef smiled and cleared his throat. "Ahem. Thirteen stupid teenagers. Danger at every corner. Who will be voted off next? Get yo' hand off that clicker and stick around for some mo' Total Drama World Tour: Round Trip!"

Chris shrugged. "Meh. Better leave those to me."

* * *

**The Votes**

Rodney: 4

Scott: 1

**Eliminated: Max, Zoey, Dawn, Jasmine, Rodney**

**Team Evil: Scarlett, Noah, Owen, Izzy**

**Team Horsepower: Jo, Lightning, Brick, Geoff, Sky**

**Team Vengeance: Courtney, Scott, Dave, Eva**

* * *

**Drop of Shame: Rodney**

Rodney fell through the jungle canopy until he hit solid ground. He raised his head and wobbled to his feet.

"Ugh... What was that? Scott must've rigged the votes! Courtney was supposed to be mine! I had their perfect plan and-OW!"

Rodney slapped his arm to find a dead wasp. Suddenly his vision went blurry and everything started twisting around. Nearby trees transformed into bikini-clad Courtneys, causing Rodney to drool.

Like a zombie, he slowly stumbled forward and faceplanted into a tree that he thought was massive cleavage. A stream of drool made its way down the trunk and pooled at his feet.

**End Drop of Shame: Rodney**

* * *

**Reason: **Rodney was never a serious character, so giving him a solid plot was pretty easy with Scott right there. Originally he was set to merge, but I just couldn't resist derailing his entire life in this game with the most idiotic move I could think of: throwing challenges by himself and overdoing it, much like Drew Christy of Survivor fame. (Yet another Survivor reference!) I really liked writing this guy this seasons and will give him more to do at the Playa come the next special, so watch for that!

* * *

**~A/N~ Kudos to anyone who got all the Survivor references in this episode (especially the cameo from a certain Second Chances). If you're as hyped for Survivor: Cambodia, let me know in your review and we can talk the season come September if you want. #TeamKass**

**As for the chapter itself, I hope you all enjoyed it after a long wait. Sending Rodney home was worth it, right? I hope some of you guys were a little surprised by his downfall. It wasn't supposed to be obvious nor hidden, just funny.**

**The next few updates will be slower thanks to school starting up next week, so if you want to stay up to date, follow this story so you won't miss any new episodes. ;)**

**And with that, I bid you adieu! Foreseer... out!**

* * *

**Review Replies:**

**JojiMC: **I think we've already discussed this, so thanks for yet another fantastic review. You're the best!

**Red John: **Nice to see another #TeamDave supporter out there! They're both guilty, but I put slightly more blame on Sky. That's why she's getting a dose of reality, but I can't spoil anything regarding the future of their plot. :)

**Icetundra: **Thanks! Puns are always fun.

**Tdfan12: **I can't spoil anything specific about Topher, but I can say he'll do more than sit at a desk this season.

**Nicholascrewse: **I think you can put those fears to rest now. Scottney still has a slim chance. That's all I shall say. :)

**acosta perez jose ramiro: **Thanks!

**Knifez: **Yep, you nailed it. But the real question is which redhead you initially predicted to go home! Anyways, I'm sure you are ecstatic to see Rodney gone, what with him being so low in your rankings and all.

**Creaturemaster: **Thanks again! It was a fun episode to write even though it was mostly setting up the rest of the pre-merge and a little of the early merge plots. About those locations, I'm sure one will pop up sooner or later. ;)

**Abysswalker: **I have no idea what those Harry Potter and Family Guy refs were, but... okay. It's nice to see someone guessing at the idol location. Looks like you got in half right. As for the character reviews, they were great. And yep, Izzy is pretty "WTF" this season. #Scarlizzy

**Sarcasm Is A Habit: **Hey**, **that's just another review, so I'm not complaining. But to be serious, you made some good points regarding the Playa episode. I've been tweaking the characters a little, so expect some major development by the next one. Thanks again for the review(s)!

**Guest: **Yep, Sky be feeling that guilt. It will definitely come up again. Dave is another story. Looks like you almost hit the bullseye with Rodney too.

**PizzaTheBomb: **Thanks! Hopefully Rodney's downfall was awesome enough.

**CourtneyBlack 22: **Who knows? She might just play the violin for real... And another correct Rodney prediction. I bet you're pretty happy about that elimination, huh? ;)


	9. Warning - Do Not Feed the Suspicions

**~A/N~ Good news, everyone! We hit 100 reviews! This is just so amazing and you all are too. My goal by the end of this 26 episode season is to be on the first page for reviews, so there's still a long way to go, but I know we can do it!**

**It seems like most of you guys enjoyed Rodney's downfall as much as I did. Good to know I did something right. Not to worry though. He's not done in terms of the story. ;)**

**With school well underway, expect updates to hit a standstill for a few weeks as I settle into the new schedule. I'll try and get one episode out every month to keep things consistent though, but no promises.**

**Also, this challenge is probably the stupidest thing ever. I don't even know why, but it just is. XD**

**With all that out of the way, enjoy the episode!**

* * *

_Episode 9: Warning - Do Not Feed the Suspicions!_

* * *

"Last time on Total Drama, our fourteen remaining misfits took to the slums and waterways of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on a frantic race to the finish. Noah unleashed his super snarker mode on a special guest and whipped rear end in the first challenge, allowing Team Evil to win their second challenge of the season, but not without a little forced lesbian action between Izzy and Scarlett. Team Horsepower ran a simple race to last place, but thanks to Rodney's sabotage, Team Vengeance was declared the losing team. At elimination, sparks flared between Scott and Rodney, but everyone's favorite lovesick farmer told one too many lies and got voted off unanimously. Now, thirteen remain! What surprises are in store for our teams? How will Scott bounce back from the bottom? Can Izzy get any more insane?! Find out all those answers and more on this exciting episode of Total Drama... World Tour... Round Trip!"

(The theme song plays)

* * *

In the cargo hold, the four remaining members of Team Vengeance rested on the floor. While Dave, Eva, and Courtney were fast asleep, Scott was still full of adrenaline from the last elimination ceremony and couldn't sleep.

* * *

**Confessional**

Scott squees like a little girl. "I can't believe I'm still here! Rodney's home and I'm one step closer to the money!" He gets serious with a smirk. "But, I need to make sure I stay safe until the merge. The next one out has to be Dave, so I just need to get close with the ladies and follow them around like a lapdog. Then, I crush them... Well, not Courtney. But Eva? Yeah, she's not in on this. All that muscle will be a problem."

(Static)

Courtney rolls her eyes. "I hated losing all that raw muscle, but Rodney had the brains of a jellyfish. I mean, I almost believed him until he threw away our key, but to think he almost made it work? I feel pathetic."

**End Confessional**

* * *

In Economy, Lightning woke up to the sound of footsteps and rustling. He opened his tired eyes and saw a lanky figure standing on the other side of the room, reaching up to the luggage compartments. He rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating from his faceplant the day before. When he looked again, the figure was gone.

* * *

**Confessional**

Lightning starts panicking and biting his nails. "Lightning don't know what he saw, but it was sha-creepy. Hope it ain't some ghost or something spooky like that. Lightning ain't a fan of ghosts, man."

(Static)

Scarlett wiggles a piece of paper in her hands. "Too easy." She opens the scroll and reads of the page. "Your quest is valiant, but your motives are not. Winning a second chance, is all in tying the knot." She rolls her eyes. "Ryhming _not _with _knot? _Way to use your head, Chris."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Scarlett returned to her seat in first class and slowly sat down to avoid waking Noah, Izzy, or Owen. A few seconds and no one stirred, so Scarlett smiled and went back to sleep with a chuckle.

Noah slowly opened one eye and sneered.

* * *

When the teams gathered for breakfast, Team Evil and Team Horsepower were surprised to see that Rodney was voted off.

Noah looked to Owen. "Looks like we both lost the bet," he sighed.

"You we're _betting _on me going home?!" Scott snarled at the buddies.

"Yeah," Noah said with a shrug. "Everyone was."

Scott rolled his eyes. "Well... Rodney was stupid and threw the challenge, so we all sent him home."

"But weren't _you_ throwing challenges?" Owen asked sheepishly, fearful of Scott's temper. "I mean, it's your thing."

"Well, maybe it ain't my thing anymore," Scott said.

"It'd better not be," Courtney sighed in a tired voice. "One wrong move and you're gone, got it?"

"Right on," Scott said, giving his crush a thumbs up.

Jo watched the two teams talking it out, a smirk on her face.

* * *

**Confessional**

Jo snorts with laughter. "Ha! They voted off their strongest player and expect to do better? Give me a break!" She suddenly pauses. "Wait."

(Static)

"I'm sad to him go," Sky said. "He really needed a second chance to make up for his first season." She pauses. "Wait."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Brick and Lightning took their seats beside Jo. Both leaned closer to the leader.

"So, what's the plan?" Brick asked. "Any strategy on your brain?"

"Yeah," Jo said, glaring at Eva and Courtney out the corner of her eye. "I'm worried about those Team Vengeance girls. Heck knows I wouldn't take them to the merge."

"Sha-right," Lightning said with an arrogant snort. "Whatcha thinking? Sabotage?"

"If it comes to it," Jo said, finishing her overcooked eggs. "We need to keep our numbers going into the merge, but that four and the Team Evil four outnumber us. We need to make sure the strongest don't survive the early game, so maybe we should unofficially merge with Team Evil and get those girls out of here while we can."

"I hear ya, man," Geoff coughed, butting in unannounced.

"Yeah, right," Jo said with narrowed eyes. "Anyways, we'll talk later. Just... don't do anything stupid."

* * *

**Confessional**

Lightning snorts. "Ha! Lightning has her by the strings, man. She thinks the Lightning is with her, but come the next elimination of ours, she's getting sha-bammed _good_!"

(Static)

"Ugh," Sky groans. "All this dirty play is killing me! I'd say something, but loose lips sink ships, right?"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Scarlett approached Courtney once she was done eating. "So, how was your cheap egg knockoff from a carton?"

"Good," Courtney sighed. "Why?"

"Nothing in particular. I was just pondering the possibility of an _alliance_ between our teams. Team Horsepower has all the best players according to statistical analysis, so we need them out as soon as possible."

"Sounds like a good plan, but why should we trust you?" Courtney asked with a hint of suspicion.

"Because we're not normally on top of the pack," Scarlett said. "If your team and ours joins forces, we'll be able to annihilate the competition. Maybe we'll even be in the final two together."

Courtney perked up.

* * *

**Confessional**

Courtney sighs. "I know she's evil and tried to kill seven people... or on the show at least, but a deal for the final two? That's not something I get every day. Maybe an alliance would be the best thing for my game, seeing as how Dave and Scott are probably going next and Eva is never getting far enough to do any damage."

**End Confessional**

* * *

"I'll... think about it," Courtney said.

Scarlett nodded and returned to her table.

"And?" Noah asked, peeking up from his book.

"She's thinking about it," Scarlett replied with a roll of her eyes.

* * *

**Confessional**

Noah stares into the camera. "It doesn't take an IQ of 180 to see that my team's on the bottom here. It's me, psycho, super psycho, and a tub of lard. Not the best selection. Thankfully, a truce with Courtney will get Team OP back into loser class and us into the merge... whenever that is. Frankly, I'm ready to merge. I have five people in this alliance, myself included, so it shouldn't be too hard to take the numbers advantage and make it to the end."

**End Confessional**

* * *

As the teams returned to their individual parts of the plane, Jo pulled Noah aside. The bookworm recoiled and pulled away.

"What? You trying to fondle me or something?" he asked in confusion.

Jo let out an annoyed sigh. "No. I'm here to offer you a deal. You help my team, and I help yours."

"So... a cross-team alliance?" Noah asked for clarification.

"Think of it as an early merge of our teams. We get Courtney and her strongest teammates out and we can go to the final... nine? Yeah, nine."

"Sounds tempting," Noah yawned. "Convince me to care."

Jo slapped her neck in frustration. "Okay, final four. You, me, Brick, and a person of your choosing."

Noah smirked. "That's more like it. And nice move taking Brick. I mean, I knew you cared, but-"

"It's not because I like him, which I don't!" Jo said, quick to defend herself. "It's because he's a loyal little lap dog to me. He'd cave under the pressure and practically line my pockets with moo-lah."

Noah simply smiled and walked off.

"Hey!" Jo barked. "What's your answer, _Egg-head!?"_

* * *

The TD Jumbo Jet landed on a busy runway in the heart of a chilly city. The cast slid down the rope ladder one by one until all feet were on the pavement. Chris and Chef jumped down afterwards.

"Welcome... to Toronto!" the host announced.

"Wait?! Izzy gasped. "We traveled back in time and ended up at the start of the season?! Ohmygosh! I so need to talk to past me!"

"Calm down, Izzy," Chris sighed. "We're not in the past. We just needed to stop here for today's challenge."

"Which is exactly where we started?" Geoff asked, scratching his empty noggin.

"Correct, my good man," Chris said, patting his bro on the back.

"What, did the season get a budget cut?" Dave snorted.

"Actually, we got a raise," Chris explained. "Credit to Scarlett for that one (and our lawyers)."

Scarlett's left eye twitched ever so slightly.

* * *

**Confessional**

Scarlett rolls her eyes as a scowl develops on her scrunched face. "Those court references are getting old. In fact, they've been old for as long as I've carried this contract around, looking for potential flaws and/or loopholes and the writing." She pulls out a piece of paper from her pocket. "This contract states that any and all acts performed by me that the host, that's Chris, considers _evil, _shall result in immediate elimination. That's why my knives, arsenic tablets, captive malaria-carrying mosquitos, and DVD copy of The Room were taken away before I was allowed to compete in the season."

**End Confessional**

* * *

"What's the challenge?" Sky asked nervously, dreading the possibilities.

"A climb up the stairs of the CN Tower?" Owen gasped.

"A five kilometer swim through Lake Ontario?" Jo buzzed with excitement.

"Football?!" Lightning squealed with joy.

"All... wrong," Chris said. "Today's challenge is a very special event you may only do one time in your lives. It's a challenge _so _special that we had to purchase very special tickets for the occasion. It's _so _special that I spent a few bucks from Chef's wallet to use for the setup!"

"You did what?!" Chef gasped from the sidelines.

"Hey, you borrow cash all the time!" Chris retorted. "You have no room to talk!" He cleared his throat and turned back to the thirteen players. "Ahem. As I was saying, I pulled out all the stops to make this challenge happen. To get to the site, we'll all take a bus which should arrive in three... two... one... aaaaaaand!"

On cue, a black bus rolled up onto the runway and opened its doors with a loud hiss. Inside, one of Chris' interns was falling asleep at the wheel.

"All aboard!" Chris shouted.

* * *

**Confessional**

Lightning does a few quick cracks to his back and neck. "Lightning has a good feeling about today. We got the strongest team by far and Lightning's in a super secret alliance. He just hopes Jo can get a good connection with that team of dorks so we can wipe out the competition. Sha-bam!"

(Static)

Noah sighs and leans back against the back of the toilet. "I've been thinking about Jo's little proposal. It's not a bad deal, but an alliance with both teams may be a little too much to handle. We have Eva on Vengeance feeding us the goods, but Team OP? Nada. We have more connections with _space_ _aliens_ than those annoyingly successful snobs. Still, surrounding myself with big threats would be a valid strategy to get to the end. But unless there's a jury vote, I ain't winning that last challenge, so I have no clue what to do right now."

**End Confessional**

* * *

As the bus buzzed down the busy highway, Scott took some time to chat with Courtney while Dave and Eva started up a small conversation.

"So," Scott started. "Uh, thanks again for saving my butt last night."

Courtney crossed her legs. "Don't thank me. Thank Rodney. He's the reason he got voted out instead of you."

"But you knew I was telling the truth," Scott said with a cheesy smile. "I know Eva and Dave don't really think of me as some kind of asset and would've sent me packing if you didn't step in."

"Whatever lets you sleep at night." Courtney popped in some headphones and listened to her PDAs small selection of classic songs.

"Any Kanye on there?" Scott snickered. "We can share."

Courtney opened one ear and faced Scott with a look of disgust. "Sorry. I only listen to _real _music. And sharing earphones leads to ear infections, I might add. And who knows where _your _ears have been."

"On my head?" asked a confused Scott. "For seventeen years?"

Courtney sighed and plugged the bud back in.

* * *

**Confessional**

Scott sighs and slaps his face. "It sucks liking a girl who doesn't care. Maybe I should stop trying to get into her pants and start trying to get into big bucks. Dough before hoes! Not that, uh, she's a hoe or anything. Hehe."

**End Confessional**

* * *

"You're sure you're over her?" Eva asked the relaxed teen by her side.

"Yeah," Dave yawned peacefully. "Sky is a total non-factor now. I haven't wanted to strangle her in two days. That's, like, 47 hours over my last record."

Eva raised a brow. "Uh huh. Right."

Dave opened his eyes and turned with arms crossed. "Hey, I'll never be over her, but putting Sky out of my mind and focusing on winning these challenges has really gotten my spirits high."

Eva shrugged. "Fair enough. But what about our losing streak? You can't seriously be happy about that."

"I'm not," Dave said defensively. "Losing so much is killing me, but on the bright side, the cargo hold hasn't given me a panic attack in a while, so maybe I'm over my irrational fear of bacteria, both the girl and germ varieties."

"Well, as long as you're not screaming _bloody Mary _over roaches at three in the morning, I'm good. You're still weak though. And _don't _expect me to put your game up to par with mine. If it comes to it, it's every player for themselves."

"Understood," Dave sighed. "Maybe I could try lifting weights sometime. You know... pumping iron, building some rock hard abs, buns of steel!" Dave ended with a superman pose that brought a chuckle to Eva's throat. "What? I thought-"

"You remind me of my little brother," Eva said with snorty laughter. "When we were kids, he was so hyped to get strong. Well, maybe I forced him to, but he liked it. I've pretty much ignored him since he beat me at the provincial comps last year, but I see him when I look at you."

* * *

**Confessional**

"Wow," Dave sighs happily. "I never expected Eva and I to be close like this, but she's cool. I don't have a crush on her or anything though! I'm off girls for a _loooong _time... _and that doesn't mean I'm into dudes! _Ugh! Tumblr is gonna have a field day with this..."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Noah sat reading his book in a typical Noah fashion as Izzy poked Owen in the belly button, causing him to emit a loud "Hoo!" again... and again... and again.

Scarlett stood up and stormed off after seventeen "Hoos" and found her own seat with no one to share it with, just like she liked it.

Jo and Brick kept thumb wrestling. Brick lost every time, but at least his digits were in one piece by the end of the seventh round.

Lightning and Geoff jammed out to the beat played by Geoff's foot on the bus floor as Sky looked back at Dave.

"He looks... happy?" she said, puzzled at the boys smile. "Wow. He must be over that whole boyfriend thing."

"Don't count on it," Brick said, rubbing his sore thumb. "You wrecked the guy; shattered his heart into pieces. That takes more than a few months to heal. Heck, it could last forever."

Sky let out a shallow gasp. "Oh."

"Feeling bad, soldier?"

"Yeah. I'm just sorry for what happened... _But I told him I was so everything's fine_."

Brick took her shoulder with his beefy hand. "Sounds like you're feeling some guilt."

"I know," Sky groaned. "But Dave just wouldn't leave me alone _or _listen. He had it coming... and..." She paused to take a deep breath. "I guess I did too. But don't tell him that!"

"It takes a lot of courage to admit that, Sky. I'm proud of you. I'd give you a medal or a badge of some kind, but-"

"No, it's fine. I just need some more alone time. It's hard enough when he's always staring me down from afar, but now he's blanking me and it's scary. I feel like he's trying to get in my head and it's starting to get to me. You know?"

"Understood, ma'am," Brick said, taking his person to the seat in front of them. "Hope you feel better soon."

"Yeah. Thanks, Brick." A small tear formed in her eye and dropped onto her pants.

* * *

**Confessional**

Sky adjusts her shirt and looks deep into the camera. "I hate being here. I want to win and all, and you can bet I'll keep my head in the game until I go home, but being on the bottom of the team and around Dave 24/7 is super stressful."

**End Confessional**

* * *

The bus whined to a stop and let out the final thirteen contestants and their hosts.

The teens surveyed the massive parking lot until they saw the large sign.

"Why?" Noah groaned in disgust.

"It's a joke! It has to be!" Eva gasped.

Chris jumped in front of the camera. "Nope! We're going to-"

"The Toronto Zoo!" Owen squealed, pointing at the big, green letters hanging over the ticket booth. "Ohmygosh! I'm so hyped!"

"Thanks for the input, Owen," Chris said with a sneer. "But he's right. Today's challenge is a little field trip to Canada's largest zoo, as well as the largest zoo in the world if you measure by the acre."

Noah scoffed. "What is this? Grade Six Biology? Come on, man! This place is for little kids."

Owen grabbed Noah in a hug and continued to wheeze from the hype.

Noah pointed up to his chubby buddy. "For example..."

"I'm with Egghead on this one," Courtney said. "This challenge looks really stupid."

"And sha-boring," Lightning growled. "Lightning's here to show his potential. How is he supposed to do epic stunts and be sha-awesome at the zoo?!"

"Relax," Chef said, dragging a box behind him. "You'll all have time to be awesome and stuff. Now put these on, kids." Chef tossed each teenager a uniform: whitish pants and a beige button shirt. "These suits will help you blend in with the other workers."

Geoff had already put on the pants when he asked "Why do we need to worry about that?"

"Glad you asked," came Chris. "For today's challenge, you'll be hunting the enclosures and grounds for little red flags." He held up an example. It was about the size of the hosts head and waved on a piece of wire. "The suits are there so you won't raise suspicion when you crawl into the animal enclosures and get jailed. The team with the most flags by high noon wins immunity; the losers go the the elimination ceremony where someone _will be_ voted off and lose all their hopes of winning the million. Any questions?"

Izzy raised her hand.

"Do I even dare?" Chris sighed, afraid of what vulgarity her question would contain.

"Yeah, I was wondering if we could keep any of the animals. I've always wanted a pet crocodile!" She randomly bit Scarlett on the hand, causing the evil genius to gasp in pain and slap the hose beast away.

"Sorry, Izzy," Chris said impatiently. "No souvenirs unless they're from the gift shop."

"Darn it!" Izzy hissed with a snap of her fingers.

"Alright!" Chris said, raising his hand. "You've all suited up, so this challenge... is... _on!"_ He dropped him and the contestants rushed off towards the ticket booth in one giant mass. When they got in line, the man at the booth allowed them to go in for free thanks to the custom outfits.

A raging Lightning pushed through the crowd and made a passage for his teams shoving the other contestants aside and earning a few glares from Team Evil.

* * *

**Confessional**

Scarlett scowls into the camera as a darkness fills the shot. "He will pay dearly."

**End Confessional**

* * *

With the team of athletes ahead of the competition and moving through even more crowds of visitors, Team Evil and Team Vengeance met up to discuss the challenge.

"So?" Scarlett asked Courtney. "Are you in? Are you out?"

"In. Definitely in." Courtney looked at Jo and Lightning fighting over a map of the zoo. "This better work."

"It will," Scarlett said with a grinchy grin. "Believe in our combined efforts."

"But how do we beat them?" Dave asked. "They're just too strong to take on in a challenge like this. If we interfere and try to slow them down, they'll probably mash us up into a paste."

"I could knock them out," Eva said, throwing ideas into the mix.

"Or one of our teams could just tail them and stop them from getting flags," Owen suggested.

Scarlett looked at the chubby boy with a glint of surprise. "Interesting plan, Owen. That would work. One team slows down Team Horsepower while the other goes for flags."

"But about the whole 'mashing us into paste' thing?" Dave whined with fear in his throat. "I think we should consider-"

"You'll be fine," Noah said impatiently. "Stop whining."

"I'm _not whining_," Dave whined. "I'm just voicing a general concern with-"

"Team HP!" Scott screamed, pointing into the distance.

"Yeah, them," Dave said.

"No!" Scott groaned. "Look! They're getting on the train!"

Scarlett pushed Scott ahead. "You follow them! My team will go on our own! Hurry!"

Team Vengeance pumped their legs at full power to reach the Zoomobile before it took off. Team Evil ran off into the maze of pathways and sidewalks leading to the eastern side of the zoo.

Lightning took a seat on the train and kicked back. He looked up to spot a flag hanging from the ceiling and grabbed it. "Ah, yeah! Team HP in the lead! Sha-score!"

"Nice find, bro!" Geoff patted his friend on the back and turned to Jo. "Where should we get off?"

"Wherever we see a flag," the grey-clad female replied. "I'd say start at the back of the zoo so the other teams can't get in our way."

"Like this?!" came a snort from behind.

Jo turned and screamed, grabbing at her oily blonde hair. Standing in the car behind theirs was Team Vengeance. Courtney waved seductively until she eyed the flag in Lightning's hand.

"Oh, come on!" she raged. "It's been five minutes!"

"Yeah, and you're losing!" Lightning taunted, shaking his butt in their direction.

Dave and Scott turned away in disgust as Eva and Courtney grew angrier with Lightning's poor twerking.

* * *

**Confessional**

"Pops taught Lightning that move," Lightning says arrogantly. "Whenever he slays the opponent, he just pulls out his tail and shakes it like there's no tomorrow." He waves to the camera as tears of some emotion between sadness and joy form in his eyes. "This is all for you, Pops. This is for you!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Team Evil arrived at the Australian Pavilion and looked around for waving flags. Finally, a glimmer of red caught Izzy's eye inside the monitor lizard enclosure.

"Ooh, there's one! Izzy's going for it!"

Before Noah could stop her, she had vaulted herself into the exhibit and approached a feeding lizard with a flag around its neck.

"Izzy, be careful!" Owen gasped. "Those could be poisonous!"

"They're not," Scarlett clarified. "It's merely the bacteria in their saliva that she should be worried about."

Izzy grabbed the flag and ripped it off, holding it up for her team to see. Suddenly, a lizard clamped onto her free hand, causing her team to freak out. Scarlett, however, was smiling.

People began to stop and watch in horror as Izzy whipped her hand back and forth, sending the lizard flying into the glass wall and startling the crowd. She emerged with a series of puncture wounds on her hand, but was still smiling.

"What? That's how he shows affection?"

The crowd of visitors began to clap as Noah dragged Izzy away by the non-infected hand.

* * *

**Confessional**

Owen looks up to the sky in a dreamy stare. "Izzy's perfect..." He snaps back to reality. "But she's taking this show too far!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Team Horsepower and Team Vengeance remained locked in an intense staring contest all the way to the Canadian Domain area of the zoo. When the train stopped, Team HP quickly took the lead as Team Vengeance followed a few feet behind.

Jo stopped her team at the brown bear cage and spotted a flag hanging from a dead tree. Easy enough, except for the fact that there were three bears hanging around under it.

Jo grabbed the nearest teammate. "Brick, you're up!"

"Why?!" the cadet gasped, nearly wetting himself.

"Because I said so! Now get in there and show those bears what you're made of!"

* * *

**Confessional**

"Fear and lame-ness," Jo says. "But I'm trying to keep his loyalty in the palm of my hand, so being supportive is just part of the job. It's not like I _actually _respect his feelings or anything sappy like that... _because I don't!_"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Eva tossed Scott into the cage without giving it a second thought or asking for his permission, so the farmer was definitely peeved when he hit the ground.

"Hey, what the heck was that for?!" he screamed.

Courtney pointed to Brick, who was starting to climb the tree. "Scott! The flag! Stop him!"

Scott turned around and ran to the base of the tree. He grabbed on to Brick's combat boots and started to pull him down.

Brick kicked and pulled his way out of Scott's grasp, losing his boots in the process.

Scott hit the ground hard with a thud. "Owwww! My butt!"

The growling of the bears caught his attention. They had surrounded him.

* * *

**Confessional**

Scott scoffs. "Back on the farm, I deal with bears all the time. My Pappy always calls me the bear-wrangler, so I wasn't afraid. Nope, not at all."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Scott trembled in his boots as the bears approached him from all sides. "Help! Somebody help!"

Brick was seconds away from grabbing the flag when he heard Scott's plea. He peered down and yelled to the farmer. "The boots, soldier! The _boots!"_

Scott looked at Brick's boots in his hands and caught a whiff of their pungent odor. He smiled wickedly and threw the footwear at the furry assailants.

Both teams and a small crowd watched from above as the bears gagged and retreated. Scott cheered with a "Yes!" and looked up, only to get a face full of smelly socks when Brick jumped down with the flag.

He quickly snatched his boots and ran out of the enclosure with his team's second flag.

Scott ran out right after. "Oh, he's in for it now! Follow them... again!"

* * *

**Confessional**

Courtney sighs. "At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if we lose again. We're just a running gag on this show, and it blows."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Team Evil collected flags two and three from the panda cage and camel ride, both thanks to Izzy. As they approached the Wetlands Zone, Izzy jumped into the shallow ponds and began to frantically search for more flags.

Noah chuckled. "At this point, we can just sit back and let Izzy do all the work."

"Agreed," Scarlett said.

Izzy returned with a giant bull frog on her head. "Sorry, guys. No flags. Let's ride the train now!"

"You heard the lady," Noah said with a casual shrug.

* * *

Geoff and Eva jumped into the moose cage and spotted a flag attached to the antlers of the largest bull around.

Eva grabbed Geoff and flung him back, gaining the lead.

Geoff stood up and wobbled on his feet. "Not cool, brah!"

The muscle woman jumped on top of the bull moose and wrestled it to ground with ease as the contestants and tourists watching from above stood in shock at Eva's amazing feat. She grabbed the flag and ran out of the cage.

"Nice one, Eva!" Dave cheered.

Sky looked away from her former flame, making sure to avoid any eye contact.

Geoff, still trying to get his bearings, found himself face to face with an angry bull moose. The animal snorted into his face, blowing his hat away.

* * *

**Confessional**

Eva laughs. "Ha! That moose was nothing compared to some of the guys back home I deal with at the gym."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Team Evil arrived at the African Savannah Zone and watched the horizon for flags. Izzy's hawk-like vision picked up traces of red in the field and the team took off.

Scarlett turned to Noah as they jogged down the trails. "I just hope our alliance with Team Vengeance proves effective."

"They'll be fine," Noah yawned. "As long as I'm safe, I really don't give a crap who loses."

"What if we lose?"

"Then you go home."

Scarlett thought about tripping Noah and watching him faceplant into the pavement, but kept it as a fantasy for the time being. As she had been told, any evil acts could result in expulsion from the game.

* * *

**Confessional**

Scarlett looks into the camera and groans. "Could I be in a worse position? Could I?"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Geoff emerged from the moose enclosure bruised and beaten. He waved his arm in the air and fell over.

Lightning dove to catch the surfer dude. "I got ya, buddy?! Let's roll!"

Jo turned to run for another flag, but was met by the four members of Team Vengeance still standing there. Realizing their plan, she turned red in anger. "Hey! Find your own flags!"

"Make us," came Scott.

Jo gave her team a look of desperation. "Do something!"

"Like what?" Lightning asked, confused. "They'll just follow us no matter what we do."

"Out of options?" Dave teased. "Scared? Worried about losing?"

Sky felt Dave's words hit where it hurt. She stepped forward. "No! We're going to wreck your sorry butts no matter what! Just try and stop us!"

Team Horsepower ran forward and trampled their opposition. Courtney raised her sore arm to the sky. "Follow them... again!"

* * *

**Confessional**

"Sky might be emotionally disturbed and part of my rival alliance, but she's definitely here to win," Jo says with a smile. "I can respect that."

(Static)

Sky puffs her chest like a superhero. "I'm done letting Dave and Jo stomp on my emotions. I'm here to win and that's exactly what I'm going to do!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Team Evil halted next to the penguin building. With no sign of the flag that Izzy had spotted earlier, they went inside to find a flag hanging from the neck of one penguin in the pool.

"Oh, yeah, baby!" Owen cheered. "Penguin time!"

"You wanna do it?" Noah asked his chubby buddy. "I think Izzy is starting to show signs of infection from that lizard bite."

Izzy stumbled on screen and waved her purple-tinted hand to the audience at home, disgusting the nearby visitors who slowly stepped away.

"Sure," Owen said. "I love penguins. They're like little butlers!"

"Well, then get in there," Scarlett told him. "We only have two hours left until noon and we need to win this challenge."

"Because you go home if we lose?" Noah teased, earning him an angry glare from the psycho woman.

Owen dove into the pool and swam around to look for the flagged bird. Small penguins swam up to greet him before diving back into the depths, but none of them wore the red flag.

"Dude, you have to dive down deep," Noah shouted from above. "I see the flag below you."

"Yeah, _just do it!_" Izzy shouted in her best Shia voice.

Owen dove deep as he was instructed and found the flagged bird circling him. As soon as he reached for it, it swam just out of reach as if to toy with the fat teen. Finally, Owen decided to pull out his secret weapon. He turned away from the penguin and strained as hard as he could.

Above the water, the team saw a cloud of bubbles rise to the top with Owen shattering it seconds after with the passed out bird in his hands.

"Wicked strategy!" Izzy cheered. "Big-O for the win!"

Noah just shrugged, but Scarlett was disgusted with Owen, as usual.

* * *

**Confessional**

Owen pats his stomach. "Yep! You can always count on this guy for all your gaseous needs. Heh!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Teams HP and Vengeance met up at the African zone at the same time, both focused on the lion enclosure and the flag that hung from the top of the rocky mound inside. The lions, however, were going to be a problem. The cats were lined up asleep in front of their caves, which had to be traversed to reach the top.

Team HP hoped to score their fourth flag while Team Vengeance was still looking for their third. Sky went in with Dave volunteering to go right behind her.

"Are you sure you can handle it?" Eva asked.

"Yeah!" Dave boasted with glee. "I've been looking forward to this! Sky's going down!"

"But you said you were over her," replied a confused and slightly angry Eva.

Dave shrugged. "I need closure to seal the deal."

* * *

**Confessional**

Dave shrugs. "Once I beat Sky here and make sure she loses and goes home, my job is done. Just run in, get the flag, and get out. No distractions."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Sky stepped over piles of bones and twitching tails as she moved up the makeshift mountain of rocks. Dave followed right behind her without making a sound, hoping to take the flag at the last second.

Sky heard the sound of breathing and turned around. Dave stopped and they stared at each other cluelessly. Dave's face slowly turned into a scowl while Sky's turned to fear. They stood like this for a few moments, face to face for the first time in days.

"I hate you," Dave said calmly.

"I don't care," Sky replied, emphasis on the 'lied' part. Her face turned to one of determination, and her arms shot forward.

Dave fell over the side, tumbling through dirt and rocks until something furry met his face. The breathing startled him, but not as much as the roars from above. Before he knew it, he was cornered by five lions.

Sky quickly surmounted the cliff and snagged the flag, leaving Dave behind to get mauled... again.

* * *

**Confessional**

Sky screams into her hands. "AHHHH! Why did I do that!?

(Static)

Dave appears with frizzled hair and a black eye. "Sky, you're not just dead to me... You're _nothing _to me!"

(Static)

"I never knew Ms. Olympics had it in her," Lightning says with delight. "A bit unethical, but nothing Lightning wouldn't do."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Dave crawled out of the enclosure as lions swatted at him from behind. He fell to ground where Courtney slapped him out of shock.

"What happened back there?!" The CIT began to freak out. "You just stopped and let her walk all over you!"

"I don't know," Dave sobbed. "She just... pushed me!"

"That was weak," Eva grunted. "What a disappointment."

Dave buried his hands in his knees. "Go on without me. I need a moment to rest and think about life."

Courtney sighed and led her team along the path.

Dave sat there, crying. People walked by, unsure of what to do.

* * *

**Confessional**

Dave is still crying. He looks up and wipes the tears from his eyes. "I knew Sky was horrible and I should've expected that, but I don't know why I didn't. I still hate her guts and want her gone, but part of me couldn't do anything when our eyes met. It's like something deep inside me, some part of me, has feelings after all that messiness in season six."

(Static)

Sky bangs her head into the tabletop. "Why?! Why?! Why?!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Brick ran up alongside Sky and gave her a look of disappointment.

"I'm sorry!" she groaned. "I just-"

"I take back what I said," the cadet told her. "You _don't _deserve a medal."

Brick ran ahead, leaving Sky to wallow in her own despair.

With no competition, Team Evil snagged their sixth flag from the butterfly enclosure and went right to the monkey cage. Izzy slid inside and played monkey in the middle for the flag as the chimps tossed it back and forth.

"Izzy's doing great," Noah said. "She's definitely our strongest player in the physical department... or our _only _strong player in those terms, but whatever."

"Agreed," came Scarlett. "Izzy, despite her annoying and occasionally lesbian tendencies directed at me, is worth keeping around for the sole purpose of winning challenges."

"Yeah," Owen sighed. "The kiwi shots are getting old though."

Izzy emerged from the cage covered in feces with the flag in hand. "Look guys! Monkey poop!" She approached Scarlett and gave her a big, crappy hug. "Victory is ours!"

Noah and Owen took a few steps back.

Scarlett pushed Izzy off to find herself covered in fecal matter from head to toe. Her eyes started to twitch and her hands grasped invisible necks which she quickly snapped.

Izzy saw the mess she made and laughed. "Oh, sorry, Scar! But now we're matching! Cool, huh? How about a big, juicy kiss to celebrate."

Scarlett looked up at Izzy with evil in her eyes. "I. Hate. You."

Izzy took her threat as a joke and leaned in for a kiss.

Scarlett blew up in her face. "I hate you! You're just here to annoy me! Everything you do is annoying! I'm sick of your antics and I just want you _gone_! All your kissing and overtly sexual advances are annoying! You think this is so funny, but it's not!" She slapped Izzy across the face and huffed and puffed as Izzy recoiled.

The hose beast felt her cheek and snarled. "No one slaps Izzy and lives to tell the tale! Hiiiii-YA!"

Both girls fell to the ground and delivered slaps and kicks to each other's faces. Izzy bit Scarlett's glasses and ripped them off her face. Scarlett poked Izzy in the eyes to retaliate. Izzy pulled on Scarlett's hair while Scarlett kneed Izzy in the gut.

A small... no, _large_ crowd had gathered to watch the fight going down. Owen and Noah just kept stepping back.

* * *

**Confessional**

"Yep," Noah says. "They're crazy... and probably banned from the zoo."

(Static)

Owen shudders. "Normally I live for the catfights, but that was hard to watch. I was totally rooting for Izzy though."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Team Vengeance and Team Horsepower, both with five flags each, were still locked together, side by side. The strategy wasn't working, and both team leaders were peeved.

Scott counted up the flags. "Yep, it's five. Looks like we need to play harder and dirtier."

Lightning slowly counted up his team's flags on his fingers. "Five. The same as them. We need to find one fast and take back the lead. Where haven't we checked?"

"The Mayan Ruins!" Geoff exclaimed. "We never looked inside."

Courtney nodded to Eva and headed there as soon as Geoff hollered.

Lightning nodded to Geoff. "Sounds like a good idea. Let's sha-go!"

"What about time?" Courtney asked her team (without Dave).

Eva stopped and looked around. She grabbed the nearest tourist and pulled him aside. "Hey, what time is it?"

The man looked at his phone. "Uh... 11:45?"

Eva dropped the man and gasped. "We have fifteen minutes! Hurry!"

Both teams met at the Mayan Temple. This was it. One last flag.

* * *

Zoo personnel dropped off Team Evil outside where Chris surveyed the damage. Izzy and Scarlett were covered in clawmarks and bruises, but Scarlett took the most damage with her broken glasses, which had all but fallen off her face.

"Wow," Chris said, unimpressed. "Kicked out of the zoo. That's just lame. Still, seven flags is good. You should just hope the other teams don't do better at this point."

Scarlett rubbed her sore cheek and turned to Izzy. "I still hate you."

"You still slapped me," Izzy replied.

Scarlett turned to her only friend. "Noah, I had a bad day. Please refrain from speaking to me until at least the next challenge. I need time to think."

"Fine," the bookworm said. "But your glasses?"

"They were part of my act: fake. I'll manage."

"Gotcha."

Chris approached Scarlett individually. "Scarlett, I'm sure you're aware of the contract you signed."

"No acts of evil..." she clarified, hanging her head in disappointment.

"Exactly. Scarlett..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"You're still in the game."

Scarlett smiled through the pain. "Really?"

"Yeah, since no damage was done to me or my possessions, I'm fine with the brutal slaying you gave to Izzy."

Scarlett perked up with a grin. "I can hurt the others?"

"Anyone but me." Chris shrugged. "Or the plane."

Scarlett smiled devilishly as she eyed Owen and Izzy. "Understood."

* * *

Sky squeezed through the cracks of the temple to find a flag hanging from the ceiling. She calmly walked up to it and plucked it from the string, but something caught the attention of her ears. A growl echoed through the cavernous corridor.

Sky turned to find herself in the sights of a jaguar.

Outside, Dave finally met up with his team. "Sorry, guys. I just needed a while to cool down. What's-"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Dave's ears perked up. "Was that Sky?"

Courtney rolled her eyes. "Yeah. She's in the temple. Hopefully she didn't find any flags. We tried to send in Eva, but she's too big to fit through the cave entrance and got stuck."

Dave looked to see Eva's butt sticking out from a small crack in the wall.

"Oh," he mumbled. "What's in there? Moths? Llamas?"

"A jaguar," Scott said.

Dave gasped. "A jaguar?! Sky's in there alone with a jaguar?!"

"Yeah, and shed better come out with a flag!" Lightning screamed. "Stupid girl," he muttered to himself.

Dave thought to himself and looked at the hole. He was small enough to get through what Eva hasn't taken up with her massive frame, but he was scared. But it _was _Sky in there...

* * *

The big cat had backed Sky into a wall where she was desperately trying to climb up higher. The claws caught her new pants and ripped the bottom half of one leg to pieces.

With just a flag in her hands, Sky swatted the cat back with her free hand, trying to shoo it away. "Bad kitty! Get back!"

Suddenly, a whiny voice echoed through the cave. "Hey!"

Both Sky and the jaguar looked for the source of the voice.

Dave stepped forward and paused to gulp. "Uh, here, you big kitten! Here!"

The cat turned its attention to Dave, allowing Sky to sneak down and around. Just when Sky was nearing the exit, the cat attacked and Dave leapt out of the way and into Sky, knocking them both to the ground. The cat couldn't stop and crashed face first into the wall like some domestic feline in an online cat video compilation.

Dave stood up and looked down at Sky. She looked away.

"I didn't save you because I care about you," Dave said. "I saved you because _I'm _the one sending you home. You getting eaten would've robbed me of that satisfaction."

Sky looked at Dave. "I'm... sorry for everything. I feel horrible."

"Yeah, I know," the young man said bitterly. "But apology not accepted."

"Fair enough," Sky sighed.

Both teens left the cave and joined their teams. Sky reached into her pocket and felt... nothing?!

"The flag?! Where did it go?! I had it five minutes ago!"

Dave snickered, pulling a flag out of his own pocket. "Looking for this?"

Courtney and Scott cheered as Eva asked from inside the crack: "What?! Did we win?!"

* * *

**Confessional**

Sky cracks her knuckles. "Okay! That's it! If Dave wants to play hard, I'll just play harder. I know I'm not normally into dirty play, but I just want him out of my life for good! Dave, you've awakened the beast!"

(Static)

"That was amazing," Dave says. "I finally beat Sky head to head, and in the best way possible. She's probably mad, but who cares?! Not me!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

All three teams met up with Chris at the bus. Team Evil handed in their seven flags first, followed by Team Vengeance with six and Team Horsepower with five.

Chris counted the flags and nodded. "Team Evil... You are today's winners!"

Owen hugged Noah, crushing his ribs. Izzy started twerking. Scarlett just didn't care.

"Team Vengeance, you have (say it with me) second place!"

"Of course we do," Courtney sighed. "Still, better than last."

"Team Horsepower, it's elimination time. I'll give you the rest of the day to decide on your votes."

"Yeah!" Lightning snorted cheerfully. "This should be good."

"What?!" Jo gasped. "You're happy about this?!"

Lightning just laughed in her face. "Yeah, because you're going sha-home, baby!"

Jo froze. "W-what?"

Geoff smiled and fistbumped Lightning. "You heard the dude, brah. Lightning's been with us for days."

Jo pointed a finger at the mega jock. "You said you were with me! Liar!"

"Karma's cold," Lightning said with a shrug. "Maybe next time you'll think twice about goin' back on our alliance."

Lightning, Geoff, and Sky walked off, leaving Jo to boil in a mix of emotions. She couldn't decide between disappointment, anger, or blind rage.

* * *

**Confessional**

Jo slams her fist into the wall. "I knew Lightning was up to something. All the hangouts with Geoff were a sign and I _ignored _them! AHHH-!

(Static)

Brick pulls out his poker chip. "Well, maybe it's time."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Brick and Jo sat alone in the mess hall. The former was jabbing a fork into the table while the latter twiddled his thumbs.

Jo looked up. "I can't believe I fell for _that _sorry excuse of a blindside. Now I'm going home early again and Lightning has the last laugh... (Bleep)!"

Brick sighed and looked Jo in the eye. "Jo, I think I know how to give you a fighting chance."

"Really?! How?!" Jo looked desperate. She looked _scared_.

Brick pulled it out. "This poker chip is a 'vote cancel' that I found in that soda back in Vegas. If I play it, whoever I vote for has their vote nullified."

Jo slowly took the chip into her hands. "Is this a sick joke?"

"No, Jo. It's real, and it can tie the votes tonight." Brick took the chip back. "However, I need a promise from you."

"What? I'll do it!"

Brick got closer. "Treat me with _respect. _No more nicknames or belittling comments. Deal?"

Jo looked at the chip and back to Brick's eyes. "Deal."

"Okay. But who do we vote for? Geoff will be easy to beat in a tiebreaker."

"Lightning. We vote for Lightning."

Brick sighed. "Jo, that's stupid. He's a strong player and-"

"I don't care! I'm voting for Captain Muscle and nothing's stopping me. I want _revenge_."

Brick grabbed Jo's arm. "Hey! Play with your head, not your heart."

"But if we merge-"

"This isn't the merge! It's the final thirteen, Jo. You play everyday like it's the final three and it's not. It's just not. If you go up with Lightning, he'll have a chance of winning."

"It's worth it. I can do it. I'm voting Lightning out and that's that. If you want to play your chip on Geoff and watch me go home 2-1-1, then go ahead. You'll just be out an alliance and go home next. If I win against Lightning, we can tie again and I'll beat Geoff. Then it's home free."

Brick stood up. "Ma'am, I know you want revenge... and I'm going along with you. Just don't get cocky. Okay?"

Jo shook Brick's hand. "Okay."

* * *

**Confessional**

Brick looks at the chip. "As much as I want to beat Jo for once, my alliance is more important. Still, with all the horrible things she's done to me in the past week, she deserves to hit the road."

(Static)

"Brick better play that advantage!" Jo snarls. "If I go home like this..."

**End Confessional**

* * *

As Geoff, Sky, and Brick munched on peanuts, Lightning and Jo eagerly watched Chris handle the final bag.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Neither of you! It's a tie!"

Geoff did a peanut spittake. "What?! How?! Sky and Lightning voted for Jo! It's supposed to be 3 to 2!"

"Oh, it was," Chris said slyly. "However, someone played a vote cancel on Lightning! That means his vote for Jo is out of the picture and we're going to a tie breaker."

Jo smiled at Brick. He winked back.

"A vote cancel?" asked a befuddled Lightning. "The heck is that?!"

"Uh, I just explained," Chris replied. "Jo and Lightning please step forward."

Jo jumped down and eagerly took her spot in front of Chris. Lightning stormed down and glared at Jo.

"You smarmy rat," he hissed.

Jo winked his way.

* * *

**Confessional**

"Well done, Brick," Jo says. "You've done your job; now it's my turn."

(Static)

"This is an outrage!" Lightning punches a dent in the wall. "Jo's gettin' sha-slayed! Pops, this is for you, man! I ain't letting you down again."

(Static)

Geoff crumbles to pieces. "This is so balls, dude! I thought we had it in the bag!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Jo and Lightning sat down on the ground. Two interns brought out a pair of wooden contraptions. Each was made of ten layers of circular pieces resting on a central platform with an axle poking through to the top, allowing the prices to turn. Each piece had five letters written on the side:

**HKOYT**

**ONSIE**

**IWLUP**

**DQIMA**

**XRAMS**

**EEEEE**

**SBCRL**

**JSABO**

**ASFOW**

**ELRSB**

"Jo, Lightning... these are puzzle towers. To stay alive, you'll need to turn each layer of the tower to spell out a ten letter phrase. The first to finish is safe while the loser is out for good."

Jo and Lightning stared into each other's eyes with looks that screamed "You're dead!"

"And GO!"

Jo turned the first three pieces and spelled HOW, YOU, and TOP.

Lightning spelled out YOU and went with it.

Jo went with YOU as well.

Geoff chewed his nails in the stands. "This is so intense!" he whispered.

Jo went to the next three pieces and spelled out the only word that fit: ARE.

"You are..." she thought to herself. "I am what?!"

The row of E's led Lightning to a quick solution: ARE. He quickly moved down to his last four pieces, as did Jo.

Lightning pushed the last four into place, trying different combinations. Nothing was clicking... and then he figured it out. Despite his feeble brain power, the jock was about to taste victory.

Jo saw the winning solution too. She saw Lightning racing to finish and turned her pieces. Three left... two... one and-"

"Sha-got it!"

Jo slammed the floor, bruising her hand.

Chris walked up to Lightning as the jock twerked towards a bitter Jo.

Brick watched in disappointment, but Geoff and Sky were excited.

Chris looked at the puzzle. "Lightning... You are NOT COOL!"

"Sha-WHAT?! Lightning had it right! YOUARECOOL was it! It had to be!"

Jo watched Chris examine her puzzle, which read: YOUARESAFE.

"Jo... You ARE SAFE!"

Jo stood up and shouted. "Yes! Thank you!"

Lightning kicked his puzzle into the wall. "No way! Lightning had it right! This game is rigged!"

Brick smiled from the stands, but Geoff and Sky had nearly collapsed.

Chris handed Jo the final bag and Lightning a parachute. "Lightning, I hate to say this, but you're out. You were fun while you lasted... which wasn't that long."

Jo expected Lightning to either rage, attack her, or both, but... he sobbed.

Lightning looked up and sniffed. "Fine. Get rid of your strongest player. Lightning gets it... All he wanted to do was win for his Pops. I was gonna buy back his lost rings, but I guess it wasn't meant to be." He sniffed again. "Sha-jerks!"

Jo extended a hand. "Hey, Lightning?"

The jock looked down at the hand. "What's that for?"

"Good game," Jo sighed. "You almost had me there. I respect the strategy. You played hard."

Lightning smiled and wiped the tears from his eyes. "Thanks." He reached for Jo's hand and just when they were about to meet, Lightning delivered a swift punch to her gut which doubled her like a flip phone.

"Ha! You fell for that too! Sha-bam! Lightning wins!"

"Just... jump already," Jo winced.

Lightning grabbed his pack from Chris and waved goodbye to Geoff. "See ya back wherever, bro!"

Geoff waved back. "Sure thing, man. Keep the party going until I get there, okay, man!"

"Sure thing, man!"

"Just jump!" Jo said, now on the ground and writhing in pain.

Lightning leapt into the open sky and fell out of view.

Brick helped Jo to her feet.

"Thanks," she said. "I owe you one."

In the stands, Geoff and Sky shared a scared glance.

Chris popped up between them and wrapped his arms around their shoulders. "After yet another epic elimination, will Geoff and Sky finally have a victory? Will Dave and Sky patch things up? Will Scarlett go on a murderous rampage? And how will our teams react to the biggest twist yet?!"

"Twist?!" came the entire group of four. "What twist?!"

"Find out all the answers on the next exciting episode of Total Drama World Tour: Round Trip!"

* * *

**The Votes**

Jo: 3 votes (Cancelled to 2)

Lightning: 2 votes

**Eliminated: Max, Zoey, Dawn, Jasmine, Rodney, Lightning**

**Team Horsepower: Geoff, Sky, Brick, Jo**

**Team Vengeance: Courtney, Scott, Dave, Eva**

**Team Evil: Scarlett, Owen, Noah, Izzy**

* * *

**Drop of Shame: Lightning**

_Lightning slowly drifted into view. "Stupid Jo! Stupid 13th place AGAIN! Stupid... whatever!"_

_He crosses his arms and sighs. "All I wanted to do was win for Pops and make a name for myself. Losing twice put Lightning's name in the Hall of Shame, and winning would've redeemed it. I just can't believe a random vote cancel took Lightning out! Lightning was in the perfect spot to go long with Geoff! Bull!"_

_Lightning lands in an open field surrounded by thousands of screaming fans. "Could it be?! An NFL game?! Sha-YEAH!"_

_A football flies overhead, leading a pack of players to trample Lightning. He gives a thumbs up from his crushed form. "Worth it!"_

**End Drop of Shame: Lightning**

* * *

**Reasoning: **I know there are some reviewers of mine who love Lightning, and I love him too. I really wanted to give Lightning more time in the game, but he would've been a pointless addition to a cast that already has so many pointless players. Do I consider him a fodder? No. Not at all. Max and maybe Dawn are the only true fodder characters so far. Lightning had some wins, had a major role in his team that came and went, and had a nice bit of development at the end of his run that I wanted to be something more in ROTI but went nowhere. I'll miss the guy, but at least he'll always be in the Playa episodes! :D

* * *

**~A/N~ This is probably my least favorite challenge yet, but I love everything else about the episode. I'm sure my handling of Skave so far will get some hate and I get why, but trust me: this isn't their endgame. It's just a bump in the road that will affect their relationship in the coming episodes. There is no hero in there though. There's no side to take. Dave is bitter and overreacting while Sky is letting guilt get the better of her. They're both denying their own faults. I do feel like Dave saving Sky could be slightly OOC, but since he did it for his own selfish needs, I think it fits his character.**

**Now, for some announcements: **

**1) No more review replies. Given that most of them are simple "Thanks" notes, take up unnecessary space in the word count, and are just kind of a hassle to write, I'll be answering and commenting on your comments via PM if I have anything to say or a point to prove. ;)**

**2) New poll on my profile! Go vote as always! :D**

**To "borrow" out of the Knifez playbook so to speak, I'll be having review questions! You don't have to answer all of them and you can answer more than just these.**

**1) What do you think of Skave in this episode? **

**2) What do you think the big twist could be? **

**3) Who do you THINK will win? Who do you NOT WANT to win?**

**Thanks for all the support, you guys! The next chapter is one I've been excited about, so hopefully I can get it up sooner than this one. Foreseer... out!**

* * *

_**Next time: A twist shakes things up; two alliances clash for team dominance!**_


	10. Rome-Antics

**~A/N~ This is the chapter I've been waiting for. I don't know if it's the twist or the challenge, but it's something that I really wanted to see in TDWT that just never came to be. Anyways, I hope this is as good as I've hyped it up to be. Enjoy.**

* * *

_Episode 10: Rome-Antics_

* * *

"Last time on Total Drama World Tour: Round Trip, the teams got stuck in a pit of drama during a race around the Toronto Zoo. Courtney and Scarlett formed an alliance between their teams to take out the obvious threat of Team Horsepower while Jo tried to get close with Noah to take out Team Vengeance. Ultimately, Jo lost out, but not before Sky and Dave hit rock bottom and were left as bitter rivals after a close victory on Dave's behalf. It was _rough, _hehe. At elimination, Jo wanted to target Lightning for betraying her and to get rid of a huge threat while Brick wanted to play it safe and go for Geoff and Sky. Jo and Brick made a deal, and Brick tied things up with his vote cancel chip, pitting Jo and Lightning against each other in a puzzling tie-breaker. It was close, but Lightning went down for the count, proving once and for all that brawn and egos are a terrible combination on this show. Now, twelve remain, and they're about to have their games twisted beyond belief. Find out all about it, here, on Total Drama... World Tour... Round Trip!"

(The theme song plays)

* * *

The final twelve took their seats at the mess hall tables. Dave and Sky exchanged angry glares. Jo and Brick sat opposite of Geoff and Sky. Scarlett sat without her glasses, causing her pupils to shrink and her face to clench, or at least it appeared that way. Izzy put her eggs against her black eye. Courtney and Scott bitterly ate their breakfast. Eva just played with her food.

* * *

**Confessional**

Courtney sighs and lightly punches the wall. "Losing sucks. I know we got second, but I haven't gotten first _yet_, and it's been a whole week. I don't get it though. My team has Eva, Scott, and I! That's three strong players! Maybe Dave _is _our weakest link after all. I assumed it was Scott for romantic reasons, but now, Dave's days are numbered, especially with this whole Sky thing."

(Static)

Izzy is still holding her plate of eggs to her eye. "I tried telling Scarlett that I was joking about that whole 'hot, sexy, scientist' thing last night, but she wouldn't hear any of it. All she did was growl and me and clench her fists... I'd say she's taking it well."

(Static)

"Jo was stupid last night," Brick explains. "We should've gone after Sky or Geoff, but now we're down a strong player and an advantage too. I swear, her social game is going to be her downfall." He suddenly perks up. "Good thing I made flashcards!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Jo cleared her throat and pulled a notecard out of her pocket. "Uh... Sky, are you feeling better?"

"No," the Olympian hissed, stabbing the table with her fork. "I'm not."

Jo gave Brick an unsure look and pulled another card. "I... care about your feelings and want to see you succeed."

Geoff raised his brow and Brick slapped himself.

Sky pulled her fork out of the wood. "Jo, I know you're faking this whole act of sympathy. Just give it up."

Jo dropped her deck of cards, only for Brick to dive below the table and pick them up one by one.

* * *

**Confessional**

Sky closes her eyes and rubs her temples. "Yesterday was awful; maybe the worst day of my life. But today is a new day. I've been feeling so guilty over the past six months that I forgot how to play the game to the best of my ability. From now on, I'm one hundred percent focused on winning this season and getting rid of Dave. We're both even, but it's time to tip that scale in my favor.

(Static)

"Sky's going down," Dave growls, pacing back and forth. "I know I've said it before, but now I'm serious about it. No more crying and awkwardly pausing! From now on, I'm here to win for myself, and that means beating Sky once and for all. Dave 2.0 is here to stay."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Noah fiddled with Scarlett's broken glasses. "Yep, these are done for. I know they were fake, but at least they made you attractive. Now you look twenty years older. Not sure how that's possible, but yeah."

Scarlett grabbed her smashed frames and tossed them aside. She turned to face Noah, her face looking tired without her cute glasses and bulging eyes. "It's fine. I'll live. The last factor to my success was always my looks. As long as I have my brain, I'm still in this."

* * *

**Confessional**

Noah laughs. "Yeah, like she's got a shot at winning. If it's a challenge at the end, she might win if she can get there first... and kill off the other guy. But if it's a jury vote, she'll bomb big time. That's why I want her around. Yep, I've been planning this time. No more early eliminations for me."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Scott gestured to Eva's uneaten eggs. "You want those?"

Eva sighed and pushed her plate away. "Take them. I'm not hungry."

Courtney gasped. "But you always get your protein?! You need to eat to stay up to par with the team in the next challenge."

"Forget it," said the brawny woman. "I'm not hungry. Okay?"

Courtney went back to eating her breakfast. Scott tried to sneak an egg off her plate and got a fork to the hand.

* * *

**Confessional**

Eva looks outside and closes the door. "Okay, so maybe Izzy and Noah smuggled some food from first class last night while the others were asleep. So what?! As long as Courtney thinks I'm with her and not those Evils, I'm in a good spot. This is my second chance... or, actually my third, so I have to play as hard as I can and take what I need when I need it."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Suddenly, Chris walked into the canteen and stood there, smiling quietly.

"What?" Scott asked, pulling the fork out of his hand.

Chris snickered. "Oh, I'm just here to introduce the new _twist_!"

Team Horsepower became alert while the other teams gasped and murmured to themselves.

"Is someone returning?" Geoff asked with a hint of hope. "Jasmine or Lightning maybe?"

"God _no_!" Jo gagged.

"Nope," Chris said, walking forward with a small bag in hand. "I know you all love twists, so today, things are getting switched up. From now on, the three team format is done and over. We're going to _two teams of six_!"

Scarlett smirked. "Perfect."

"Finally," Courtney sighed. "Maybe now I'll be on a winning team again."

Noah shrugged indifferently. "Meh."

"However," Chris added. "Only _ONE _team will be dissolved! The other two will have some new members. The team that splits will be decided by random draw from this bag." He waved the sack in front of their faces." Inside are three rocks: one black and two white. Each team will pick one and the team with the black rock is dissolved. We clear?"

Chris opened the bag for Jo, who pulled a rock without looking. Courtney and Noah did the same.

* * *

**Confessional**

"Should I be happy about this?" Jo asks herself. "Sure, I might get away from Geoff and Sky's anti-me campaign, but unless I go with Brick and land on a winning team, I could go home next. Crap."

(Static)

Owen giggles. "I love twists. I just hope I go with Izzy or Noah if it's our team, because Scarlett's... Yeah."

(Static)

Eva shrugs. "I don't care either way. If I switch, I switch. If I don't, I don't. I have more alliances than anyone here, so I'm safe no matter what."

**End Confessional**

* * *

"Aaaaand _reveal_!"

Jo had...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

"White! You're still a team!"

Noah had...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

"Black! Team Evil, prepare to be dissolved."

Courtney dropped her white rock and contemplated the possibilities.

Noah sighed and tossed his rock away. "Well, that blows."

"Not for me," Scarlett said with a wicked smirk. "Your plan to vote me out has been wrecked at the last moment. Quite poetic, no?"

Owen gave Noah and Izzy one last bear hug. "I'm gonna miss one of you guys. Good luck, no matter what happens."

Chris pulled another bag. "Alright, Team Evil. Two of you will draw red; two of you will draw blue. It's time to pick your rocks."

Noah reached in and drew...

...

...

...

...

...

"Red! You're on Team Vengeance, you little know-it-all you."

Noah groaned. "Never call me that again." He went and stood in front of Courtney, who slightly narrowed her eyes upon his arrival.

Owen drew...

...

...

...

...

...

...

"Blue! Team HP, give a warm welcome to your new favorite-"

"Screw this!" Jo burst out in anger, only for Brick to elbow her in the ribs and pass her a card. She grabbed it and read it aloud with eyes rolling on every word. "Welcome, valued soldier. I'm sure you'll be a valuable part of the team."

Owen sniffled and waved goodbye to Noah and Izzy. "Good luck Noah! I'll never forget you!"

"Uhhh... we're six feet apart," Noah said.

"And it's horrible! Whaaaaa!"

Jo elbowed Owen to shut him up while Geoff welcomed him with a handshake.

Scarlett drew...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

"Blue! You're with Owen!"

Scarlett froze in place. Thoughts of throwing her rock into Chris' cornea rang in her mind. "_Owen!? Owen?! Is this a joke! If I lose because of his antics, his life will be cut short within the hour!"_ She calmly joined Team Horsepower without saying a word.

"Oddly quiet," Chris mumbled to himself before turning to Izzy. "My little nutcase, you are with Noah on Team Vengeance."

Izzy fistpumped and launched herself onto Noah's shoulders. "Team E-Scope: together at last! We shall be _unstoppable!"_

"Not on my watch!" Courtney growled. "You're on _my _team now. None of this E-Scope jargon."

"Yeah," Eva agreed with her original teammate. "It's a new season, new alliances."

Izzy drooped. "Awww. What a party-pooper." She jumped off Noah's shoulders.

Chris turned to the new teams. "Well, whatcha think?"

* * *

**Confessional**

Courtney lets out a subtle groan. "Well, I guess it could be worse. Noah has brains and Izzy has brawn: two qualities this team has been lacking in lately. I just hope Eva stays with my alliance and doesn't get all nostalgic about Noah and Izzy."

(Static)

"Well..." Noah begins. "This blows. Not only am I on a team with the C.I.T., a redneck pig, and a whiny man-child, I'm on a team that's lost _every challenge_. It's just first and second; no more third. If we don't get this train wreck up and running now, I'll be gone in no time."

(Static)

Izzy does a handstand on the toilet. "Izzy loves the new team. E-Scope is finally back together and ready to kick serious tail! With Eva's brawn, Noah's brains, and my awesomeness, we'll be the best team in the history of teams. Oh, and Courtney and Scott and Dave are going down. Muahahahah-" She falls headfirst into the toilet bowl.

(Static)

Jo slaps her forehead. "Why?! Why did we get stuck with the worst players of the season. _Slow-_en and _Scarlett_ _Witch _are useless unless they align with me, which they probably won't."

(Static)

Owen slumps against the back wall. "I miss Noah and Izzy. Scarlett's just so mean to me, and now I'm with Jo! That's two evil people in one package. At least Geoff's here to keep me company though. Yeah, we go way back to season one and the first guy's alliance. Heh, maybe we should revive that?"

(Static)

Scarlett stares into the camera with no expression on her pale face. "This team deserves to burn alive. Good thing they'll likely carry me to the merge on their challenge prowess before hand."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Chris walked over the plane's emergency exit. "Well, if you wanted to get a good feel of these teams, now's your first chance, because... It's challenge time!"

"Now?!" Owen gasped. The chubby teen grabbed as much food from the table as possible and stuffed his mouth.

Chef arrived with a box. "Grab a chute and hope they work. Y'all landin' in Rome, Italy in thirty seconds.

"Another 'Olympics'?" Noah snickered under his breath.

Chris raised a bull horn and ignited the ear-piercing noise. "Go, people! Go! Go! Go!"

Jo grabbed six chutes and tossed them to her team while Team Vengeance kind of just grabbed from the pile like animals fighting over scraps.

Ten seconds later and the twelve teens were strapped in and jumping one by one into the early morning sky, below them a ring of stone.

As Noah and Dave floated down, the former decided to start up a small conversation.

"So... Is Courtney as bad as usual, or...?"

Dave sighed angrily. "She's in my alliance, so no."

"Well, take her words with _lots _of salt."

Dave looked away from his new teammate with disgust.

Izzy suddenly nosedived (without a chute) into Dave's side, latching onto the heart broken brat. "Izzy bomb, baby!"

"Hey!" Dave said, pushing her away. "Off!"

Jo and Geoff floated side by side.

"So, I guess it's game on again with these newbies," Jo said with a smirk. "Good luck, _Sucker _Dude."

Geoff rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, you _totally _mean it, huh?"

Jo looked up to Brick just a few feet above. He was holding another card. "Uh... Yeah, I do. Strong competition is the best competition."

* * *

**Confessional**

Jo smirks. "I didn't read that one off a dumb card. Geoff's admirable competition and beating him over and over gets sweeter every time. I can't wait to send _him _out next time. Oh, the joy. But I have to... play nice. He hates me enough already, so laying off the insults couldn't hurt."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Sky hit the ground first and found herself in the outer rim of a massive arena. "The Colosseum! Wow..."

Dave landed nearby, smacking into the rock seats with a thud. "Ugghhhhh..."

Scott and Courtney collided and fell to the ground above Dave. Noah calmly landed on top of their tangled mess of bodies and smiled.

Jo and Brick hit the ground with Geoff and Scarlett right behind them.

A scream echoed from the air and the four teens looked to the sky to find the sun blocked by a massive body.

"Out of the WAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY!"

Owen rocketed towards the Horsepowers at terminal velocity. Time froze. Shocked faces were cemented on their faces.

Owen smashed into the ground next to his team without his parachute to aid him in the fall. Well, it was there, or half of it was.

Sky helped the chubby fart-machine to his feet. "Are you okay?"

Owen looked around, grabbing his head. "Yeah, just a little... woozy." His vision became blurred and his teammates doubled in numbers. "Hey, when did you guys go asexual?" he laughed groggily.

Jo raised her brow and slapped Owen across the face.

Brick stopped Jo from launching another attack by grabbing her arm in mid-flight. "Hey, you're making it worse. He's got head trauma."

Owen fell over. "No guys, I'm fine. Just don't... call the Easter Bunny... I've been a good boy... this Halloween... Ugh."

Chris floated down via jetpack and examined the damages. "Yikes, that's _not _good."

Noah approached Chris with a worried pace. "Is he going to be okay?"

Chris looked at Owen again and shrugged. "We'll have the medics look at him, but he won't compete today, that's for sure."

"No way!" Jo barked with rage. "That's unfair! Take one of their guys away too, then."

Chris sighed in frustration. "Fine. Today's challenge is a gladiator battle. Five v. five, winner of two matches wins immunity. Team V, sit someone out."

All eyes went to Noah.

The bookworm shrugged. "Fine, but only if I get immunity tonight, guys."

Scott snickered. "Oh, sure. Definitely."

"Why not?" Courtney said indifferently.

Noah slapped his forehead. "Y'know? You could at least _pretend _to be honest."

* * *

**Confessional**

"I'd vote for him," Eva says with a causal shrug. "It's my game, and there's always and 'I' in 'Winner'. I'll keep him around for as long as I can, but if it's down to the two of us, he's gone."

(Static)

"Being down a man is awful," Brick says. "But today, we'll win for Owen. No man left behind... ever."

(Static)

"I wonder what happened to Owen's chute?" Scarlett asks, feigning innocence. She whips out a shard of her glasses and makes cutting motions. "Hahaha!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Noah walked into the makeshift medical tent and watched as Chef bandaged Owen's head. Something boiled inside of him: fear. He didn't want to show it.

"How's it going?" he asked the drag queen nurse.

"Fine. He's not too bad. Just some minor cuts and bruises. A minor concussion."

Noah looked at Owen, who smiled upon seeing his little buddy. "Hey, Noah. Please tell me you brought some food."

Noah pulled a half eaten granola bar out of his pocket. "There's this, I guess."

Owen inhaled the bar from his bedridden state, sucking it in from over three feet away like a three hundred pound vacuum cleaner.

Noah's eyes went wide. "Uh, that's interesting, I guess."

Owen belched and wiped his mouth. "Aren't you playing in the challenge?"

"Nah, I'm sitting out. Figured I'd stay here and let the others get maimed."

Owen chortled. "That's sooooo you. Hehe."

"How does it feel?"

"My head hurts, but I'm still happy to be alive and in the game. Ironic, huh? Last time I got injured was when the plane fell on me; now I fell from the plane! Owwww..."

Noah smiled and rubbed Owen's shoulder. "Just get some rest, buddy. I'm off to watch the challenge. Too bad... we're on opposing teams, huh?"

Owen got gloomy. "Yeah. If we lose, I go home. If you lose?"

"I don't know. They might boot me. They might not. It's three to three if Eva stays loyal."

"Wow. That's intense. Well, good luck out there, not that you're doing anything."

Noah nodded and walked back into the colosseum as the challenge started.

* * *

The five Horsepowers and the five Vengeances stood on opposite sides of the flat ground near the entrance. The ground dropped off into an open maze of brick walls that spread across the entire floor, giving the battles two dimensions to fight in.

Each player was decked out with a padded helmet and chestplate. Everyone had a baseball bat, golf club, or something long and hard to use as a weapon, as well as a shield made from a pot lid.

Chris stepped forward in a traditional Roman garb and blew a horn. "All hail Mighty McLean!"

"Nice dress!" Scott taunted from below.

Chris threw the horn at the farmboy and nailed him in the eye, sending a hilarious scream of pain through the early morning Roman air.

"As I was about to explain, today's challenge will be a gladiator match. Five at the most to be exact. The armor you're wearing is wired with pressure sensing nodes: one in the head, one in the chest, and one in the back. Hitting these will leave the victim stunned and send a signal to the television screen to my right." A screen popped up out of nowhere. Two rows of players was displayed. "Once all a team's players are out, the winners score a point. First to two wins, losers go the elimination ceremony and vote out another player."

* * *

**Confessional**

Sky glares into the camera with her arms crossed. "Dave, prepare for your just desserts."

(Static)

Dave glares into the camera with his arms crossed. "Bring it on, Sky. Bring. It. In."

(Static)

Scott munches on a bag of chips. They're delicious.

**End Confessional**

* * *

Chef sounded the horn and the ten fighters were racing to the center of the flat, sandy ground. Jo and Brick led their pack with bats held high and shields at the ready. Courtney and Eva charged ahead of the others and prepared to strike.

Time froze as the two parties met in the middle. Jo and Courtney locked in a forceful battle of the bats as the power players pushed each other back. Eva swung at Brick, who skillfully dodged and struck her in the side.

Scarlett watched the madness from the background and noticed Dave and Sky going at it, exchanging blows like ten year olds in a slap fight.

Geoff took on Scott with his club and couldn't break through the farmer's defensive barrier.

Izzy ran forward and jumped on top of Courtney's raised shield, launching herself over the action and towards Scarlett.

The psychotic redheads met at their shields and fell to the ground. Scarlett quickly rolled over and dodged a downward strike from her rival. Using her pipe, she flipped Izzy on her back and smashed into her chest, igniting a jolt of electricity that paralyzed the hosebeast.

Izzy's face darkened on the screen and Scarlett smiled.

Jo saw an opening and jabbed forward, nailing Courtney in the chest. With a quick seizure, Courtney was on the floor. Jo hurried to Brick's side and double teamed Eva.

Sky and Dave swung and missed again and again, only connecting with shields and swords.

"Just give up!" Sky screamed, pushing her former flame to the ground.

"Never in a million seasons!" Dave pushed upward and connected, shocking Sky and causing her to fall on top of him.

* * *

**Confessional**

"Didn't enjoy it," Dave shrugs. "Normally, girls lying on top of me is something exciting, but when you're about to to win, you lose all the hype. Oh, and it _was _Sky after all. Gross."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Dave squirmed to get away from Sky's paralyzed body and got nabbed by the stealthy Scarlett with a hit to the head. She rushed to help Geoff with Scott.

Noah watched from the sidelines with no interest, only looking up from his book once.

Eva swung at Jo and missed by an inch, allowing Brick to go for her head. She raised her shield and blocked both attacks with a sideways swing of the lid. Then she pushed forward, crashing into Brick and knocking him to the ground.

Jo brought her bat down on Eva's skull and met that shield. The muscle woman delivered a stab to Brick's chest and knocked him out before going down on Jo with a series of powerful slashes.

Knowing that Eva was too strong to beat one on one, Jo ducked away and jumped down in the maze, taunting Eva to follow her.

Scott swiped Jasmine's hat off Geoff's head, catching it in midair on the tip of his bat.

Geoff gasped. "No way, bro!"

Scott flung the hat away and blocked shots from Scarlett and Geoff until he felt his grip loosening on his bat. Inch by inch, Geoff beat Scott back with powerful blows. Then the bat went flying across the field, leaving Scott with just a shield.

Scarlett went in for a fatal blow and was met with a flying shield to the head, sending a shock through her body.

Geoff gripped his bat tight and attacked a wide-eyed Scott. BAM!

"Homerun, man. Boo-yah!" Geoff put a foot on the downed ginger and put his hat back on, twirling his bat on a finger.

* * *

Eva slinked through the maze of tunnels, looking around every corner with her weapons at the ready. A rock shifted behind her and she flipped around, keeping her shield facing behind her.

Another rock shifted to her left. Another to her right.

"Stop throwing crap!" Eva grumbled loudly. "It's confusing."

A rock soared over Eva's head and told her where to go. The sound of footsteps echoed down the pathways as Eva tailed Jo by a few feet. The sliver of gray sweatpants caught Eva's eye and she changed her direction to meet Jo at the upcoming intersection. With her bat at the ready, she waited at the corner as Jo approached. Closer. Just a little closer.

Eva couldn't help it. She swung at the first movement that rushed around the corner. Geoff fell to the ground, seizing with electricity.

"Ha!" came a voice from above.

Eva looked up to find Jo standing on the top of the maze. A flash of gray overwhelmed her and she fell to the dusty earth. Her bat rolled away and her shield was beaten out of its locked position in front of her chest.

Jo stabbed downward and Eva convulsed.

"And Team HP wins Round One!" Chris announced. "Round Two will start in ten minutes!"

* * *

**Confessional**

Jo smirks. "Eva has nothing on me. She's just a bottle of rage, stupidity, and power. No strategy. I almost respect her though. That was a great battle."

(Static)

Eva punches a hole in the confessional door. "Bull crap! I had that in the bag and she cheated!" She slowly calms down until she's composed herself. "I'll get her next time. You can bet on that."

**End Confessional**

* * *

The teams regrouped. Chris sounded the horn again and the battle started.

Eva and Jo targeted each other again, as did Dave and Sky. Scarlett and Geoff teamed up on Courtney while Scott and Izzy went for Brick.

Brick swung at Izzy and connected with her head, knocking her out early. Scott retaliated with a rapid series of what could've been called spasms. The barrage of attacks knocked Brick off balance and he fell down into the pit with Scott right behind him.

Eva beat Jo back and into the wall where she was free to pummel her into the bricks. Using her shield, Jo blocked every attack and pushed forward, giving her enough space to roll out of the way.

"No you don't!" Eva kicked Jo in the chest and knocked her back down. One downward strike later and Jo was down. Wasting no time, she hurried to Dave's side to aid in his battle with Sky.

Surprisingly, Dave pushed her back. "No! This is my fight! Go help Courtney!"

Courtney jabbed at Geoff and had her weapon knocked up and away by Scarlett. She hurried to pick it up, but tripped on herself. Scarlett let Geoff take the final shot, but their victory was short lived.

Eva came charging, catching Scarlett in the head just as she turned to survey the battlefield. Geoff panicked and raised his shield, but a careful swipe from Courtney's arm knocked him on his tail and open to Eva's powerful strike.

With Geoff and Scarlett down, Eva helped Courtney to her feet.

"Thanks," the CIT said, breathing heavily.

"Whatever, just don't mess up anymore."

Courtney rolled her eyes. "Yeah, because _I'm _such a weakling."

"I never said you were weak," Eva explained with indifference. "I just think you're lacking in this one."

"Well, I didn't ask for your opinion, Eva."

Dave's scream rang out and Sky stood victorious. She looked at Eva and Courtney and froze like a deer in headlights. "Crap!"

Sky jumped into the maze with the girls on her tail.

* * *

**Confessional**

"She thinks I care about her little alliance," Eva says. "As soon as we lose again, Izzy and Noah have my vote. Hundred percent."

(Static)

"What's with the sudden disdain?" Courtney asks. "It's like Noah and Izzy brought old Eva back. I don't like that Eva."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Brick and Scott played cat and mouse in the maze. The ginger jerk narrowly escaped a volley of rocks sent flying with Brick's bat and returned with a rock of his own.

"Give up, man!" Scott shouted. "You're out of your element! I've played with bats and balls since I was five and still do today!"

Brick snickered. "Well, sir, that's quite an accomplishment. Too bad you forgot about my military training and precise aim." The cadet grabbed a rock and launched it straight up into the air.

Scott watched as the rock soared high, unsure of what was happening.

"Yes, sir-ree, you've just been-UGH!"

Scott laughed as the rock came straight back down, knocking Brick into a state of paralysis.

* * *

**Confessional**

Brick feels the knob on his head. "So much for that padding."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Sky blocked Eva's strikes with her shield and Courtney's with her golf club. Sweat blinded her with long strands of wet hair and drove to her exhaustion. She gave up her defenses and dodged through a hole in the wall. Eva tried to grab her legs and missed, smashing her face into the wall.

Courtney jumped over the wall and leapt in front of Sky, taking a swing and missing by an inch. Sky jabbed and took out Courtney before turning her attention to Eva.

The muscle woman launched her entire body onto Sky, shoving her into a wall and eliminating her with a smack to the head.

"Team Vengeance wins Round Two! One round left to go!"

Noah looked up from his book. "Nice." He went back to reading.

* * *

**Confessional**

Courtney pumps her fists. "So we win Round Two and I'm happy. Sure, I lost to Sky, but at least we had a chance at first class."

(Static)

Brick sighs. "That was embarrassing. You don't think Jo saw that, right?"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Round Three began with a twist. Instead of launching into battle, Team Vengeance immediately retreated to the maze and spread out.

"Group up, stay together, and take 'em out one by one!" Jo directed, leading her team down into the maze like some clan of warriors after their prey.

Dave hid behind a wall and readied his bat. Sweat trickled down his nose and into his open mouth. Salty. A set of footsteps approached, but it sounded louder than normal. There was more than one!

Dave peeked around the corner and screamed as the five Horsepowers trampled him into the dirt. Sky stopped to kick dirt in his face before pressing on.

* * *

Eva and Courtney met up and took a breather.

"They're flocking together," Courtney hissed quietly. "We need a plan."

"Okay," Eva explained. "We need to be sneaky, hide in the shadows and ambush them. Take out Jo and Brick first, then Sky and Geoff. Redhead ain't a problem."

"Okay, but where are the others? We got split up too soon."

"Who needs them?" Eva snorted, readying her bat. "We got two badasses right here. Now let's move."

* * *

Jo and Brick led the way while Scarlett stayed in the very back, watching with her creepy, shrunken eyes.

"Hiiiiiyyyyyaaaaaa!" Izzy burst out of thin air and swiped at Scarlett with a golf club.

The mad genius limboed under it and met Izzy with a stab to the chest, eliminating her fellow ginger.

"Pathetic," she snorted as the others watched in shock.

"Good moves," Jo said. "Maybe you aren't useless after all."

Scarlett glared her way, shutting Jo up.

* * *

**Confessional**

Scarlett plays with her broken glasses. "Jo may be in charge, but I'm calling the shots now. She's merely a pawn in my game, useful for shielding the queen from attackers while she takes out the opposition."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Scott readied his bat as Team HP approached, his heart racing with adrenaline. He grabbed a rock and tossed it behind them. Time to strike!

Scott leapt out and nailed Brick in the head while his back was turned. He tried the same maneuver on Jo, but was met with strong blows from her and the rest of the team as they mercilessly beat him into the ground, filling the air with hilarious screams.

Eva heard Scott go down and sighed angrily. "Worthless. Just worthless."

Courtney looked through the holes in the wall and spotted Team HP moving closer. "They're coming. Get ready."

"On it." Eva snuck off to get a better angle.

Courtney grabbed a rock and tossed it overhead before sneaking off in the opposite direction.

Jo saw the rock hit the ground and stopped her team. "Wait. They're close."

Scarlett screamed and her team whipped around to catch a trace of blue fleeing the scene, leaving a twitching Scarlett on the ground.

"What the-AHHHH!" Sky fell to Courtney's strikes and dropped her bat, which Courtney picked up and tossed at Jo.

Jo raised her shield and blocked the projectile. She looked to see only her and Geoff remaining.

"This ain't good-looking, brah," Geoff whined in fear. "Those girls are smart."

"Not smart enough. Just stay on my back."

Jo and Geoff went back-to-back and slowly moved forward, turning ninety degrees every few seconds to keep a good view of their surroundings.

A rock shifted and dust flew up from Jo's right and Geoff's right. Footsteps approached from both sides and... went silent.

"Yahhhh!" Eva came roaring out of the cloud, tossing herself over the wall and bringing her bat down on Jo. She blocked with her shield and stabbed at Eva, but missed.

Courtney tossed herself through the other cloud and went after Geoff. He swung with his club to counter her bat and pushed forward with the shield, knocking her back.

Eva and Jo exchanged swings and blocks until Jo kicked Eva in the shin, allowing her to slam her bat down on the iron woman's head in the half-second of distraction.

However, Eva's bat managed to get through Jo's defenses, hitting her in the chest as the titan toppled onto her.

Geoff saw both girls go down and tossed his shield at Courtney like a frisbee, but she blocked it with a swing of hers. The surfer dude leaned down and picked up Eva's bat to add to his club, a double sword attack!

Courtney threw her shield up and blocked the barrage of swings, stabs, slams, and slashes, but one carefully executed hit tossed her shield into the air. Panicking and feeling overwhelmed, Courtney went all out, executing bludgeoning after bludgeoning on Geoff's pair of swords.

He kept his weapons flying around, blocking the blows. Each strike from that win-hungry beast of a girl wore him down until his grip loosened. He dropped his club and fell back, holding the bat up to his assailant. Courtney ran forward and felt something under her feet, then nothing. She fell into Geoff as her feet slipped over the fallen club, landing straight on the outwardly held bat.

Geoff opened his eyes. Courtney was down.

"Geoff wins for Team HP... AGAIN!"

Courtney, in her paralyzed state, could only let out an angry mumble. "NUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!"

* * *

**Confessional**

"It's fine," Courtney says. "You can't win them all..." Suddenly, she rips the top off the toilet and throws it into the wall.

(Static)

Geoff swings his hat around and yells. "Yeah, baby! Winner winner, chicken dinna'!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

As the teams filed into the plane, Courtney stopped Noah.

"I don't want to hear it," she growled. "Just don't talk."

"About what?" Noah asked. "I wasn't going to." He suddenly scowled. "Now, if you're gonna sit there and blame me, then screw that. I didn't even compete. You did. And I'm a brain with sticks for legs, so don't even think I could've won that physical orgy of muscle."

Courtney stomped into the confessional to cool down.

"She's our vote," Noah said to Izzy and Eva.

"Yes," Eva said. "Yes she is."

* * *

In First Class, Owen relaxed, finally out of medical care. "You guys rocked it out there. I can't wait to see that on TV."

"Yes, it was amazing," Scarlett said, smiling. "We owned the challenge by a mile."

"I just wish I knew what happened to my parachute though. I pulled the strings and it wouldn't come out. I got, like, half of it out so wouldn't die, but... wow. That's weird."

* * *

**Confessional**

Scarlett chuckles. "Owen may not have died as planned, but my quest to rid this plane of him and Izzy is not over. Until then, I'll be looking for the idol, wherever is it."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Scarlett remembered the clue found in Economy. "It's all in tying the knot..."

She looked around for knots, spying something in the snack bar that caught her eye: a wedding cake.

_"Could it be?" _

She examined the cake behind the glass and looked at the topper. Something was off about it, as if it was leaning over ever so slightly.

When her team had their backs turned, she quickly snatched it off to find a clue taped to the underside of the topper. "Congratulations. Enjoy your divorce in six months" she whispered, putting the husband and wife back on the cake and shoving the clue in her bosom.

* * *

Chris took his place at the lectern and looked over the votes. "Wow. Interesting. Heh, ironic."

"Just read them!" Courtney snarled. "We don't have all day!"

Noah looked up from his book and sighed.

"Alright," Chris said in defeat. "The person heading home is..."

"..."

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"None of you! It was a reward challenge!"

Everyone sighed in relief.

"Of course it is," Courtney said, glaring knives at Noah.

Chris clicked his remote. "But, and just for fun, let's see those votes, shall we..."

* * *

**Confessional**

Noah stamps Courtney's passport. "My advice: never breed."

(Static)

Courtney stamps Noah. "You are annoying, selfish, lazy, and have no place in this game. Goodbye, _buddy."_

(Static)

Izzy dips her lips in the ink and kisses Courtney's passport. "That's as close as you're getting to Izzy's lips. No one picks on my Noah but _me_."

(Static)

Dave stamps Noah. "Sorry. I'm sure you're a great guy and all, but alliances take priority."

(Static)

Scott stamps Noah's face. "That's for insulting my kinda, not quite, yet sorta boyfriend-I mean _girlfriend. _Yeah, that."

(Static)

Eva stamps Courtney. "You think I'm dumb, but I'm a stronger gamer than you in every way. I know you think it's four to two, but _surprise! _The lines have been drawn, Courtney. E-Scope for life... bitc-"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Courtney snapped her head to Eva and gasped. "You traitor! You said we were strong!"

"I lied. So what?" Eva turned away. "I outsmarted you. Suck it up. Hey, I even passed on info to Izzy and got free first class food too! Looks like you weren't even paying attention."

Noah sat back and watched the fireworks.

Courtney stood up and stormed off, cursing at the top of her lungs. Eva snorted and smirked at her alliance. "E-Scope is back."

Izzy hugged her teammates and laughed maniacally. "Time to slay! Y'all goin' down!"

Scott and Dave shared an angry glance.

"So much for Eva being trustworthy," Dave sighed.

"Courtney looked so hot when she got pissed," Scott said, blushing. Dave looked at him with narrowed eyes.

* * *

**Confessional**

Courtney grabs an Eva passport and flushes it. "Eva, I knew you would flip eventually, but to pledge loyalty to the Vengeful Four... which is now the Vengeful Triad, and then try to out _me_? Disgusting! I don't know when it will happen, but I'm taking you down on behalf of my alliance. You think you're smart? Well, find a way out of your web of lies before I cut the thread!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Chris and Chef sat in the cockpit. Chris raised a finger and spoke. "Looks like things on Team Vengeance just got more vengeful, huh? The team dissolve has taken its toll! And that idol clue? Yeah, stuff's going down, and you won't want to miss any of it, here, on Total Drama... World Tour... Round Trip!"

"..."

"Was that rushed, Chef?"

Chef shrugged. "Who cares?"

* * *

**The Votes**

Courtney: 3 votes

Noah: 3 votes

**Eliminated: Max, Zoey, Dawn, Jasmine, Rodney, Lightning**

**Team Vengeance: Courtney, Scott, Dave, Eva, Izzy, Noah**

**Team Horsepower: Jo, Brick, Geoff, Sky, Scarlett, Owen**

* * *

**~A/N~ And that's the twist! Most of you guys predicted it, but I'm sure the method of switching was a surprise to some. I was going to have a random swap with completely new teams, but for plot reasons I went with a dissolve of Team Evil. Now both teams are stacked pretty evenly and can have better focus instead of one team dominating and another falling into invisibility. :)**

**Review Questions:**

**1\. What did you think of the twist? Fair? Unfair? **

**2\. Who's the next boot?**

**3\. What locations would YOU like to see visited?**

**Thanks again for all the feedback! My goal is to get this story to the front page of reviews, and while it's a long shot, I definitely think it's possible. So, if you haven't fav'd, followed, or reviewed, it was awesome if you did! Every little bit helps. :)**

**(P.S.: Vote on the winner pick poll if you haven't already.)**


	11. Parade of Pain

**~A/N~ Sorry for the hiatus, guys. School was getting at me, but now I have Christmas break to whip this episode out ASAP. Thanks to every one who reviewed the last chapter and voted on the poll. A new one should be up after you read this, so make sure to vote. Anyways, enjoy this clusterfuck of an episode. It's going to be a blast. Hehe.**

* * *

_Episode 11: Parade of Pain_

* * *

"Last time on Total Drama, our three teams became two and Team Evil was shattered. Noah and Izzy joined Eva on Team Vengeance and stole her loyalties from Courtney while Scarlett sabotaged her Team HP partner, Owen, landing the guy in medical... again. Come our gladiator arena showdown, Courtney lost the final battle and continued her losing streak. At elimination, it was a relief that no one was going home, but that relief was shattered by the revelation that Eva was E-Scope strong, causing Courtney to flip out. Twelve are left, but not for long. Find out who gets the boot in our most shocking vote yet, here, on Total Drama... World Tour... Round Trip!"

(The theme song plays)

* * *

**Confessional**

Scarlett opens the clue to the idol and reads aloud. "_You're closer than ever, and yet so far. Finding safety is easy, so look to the wobbling star."_

She rolls her eyes and scoffs. "The more clues I find, the more I start to think this idol doesn't even exist. That's very Chris-like of Chris to do."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Economy Class was divided. Literally. Courtney, Dave, and Scott sat on one side of the plane while Noah, Izzy, and Eva sat on the other. A strip of tape divided the cabin into two halves.

"Wow. That was... lame," Noah yawned.

"You're one to talk," Eva snorted. "My game is ruined. How was I supposed to know it wasn't an elimination?!"

"You weren't," he replied. "But that doesn't mean you're out of the game. Sure, Courtney, is pissed..." He looked across the cabin and saw the Vengeful Triad asleep. "But it's still three on three."

"Yeah, but now I'm the target," Eva whispered bitterly. "If I had just voted for you, then maybe I'd still be on high ground."

Noah raised his brow. "You'd vote for me?" He shrugged. "Expected. It's still a team game, but I get it. We're here to win. That means I'll vote you off early too? Yeah, it does."

Eva felt her hands tighten. Something drew her to throw a punch, but she held it back.

* * *

**Confessional**

Noah shrugs. "I'll do whatever it takes to make sure my name doesn't show up around our next vote off. E-Scope is great and all, but if I have to save my own hind, I'll take... drastic measures."

(Static)

Eva cracks her knuckles. "This sucks. If Noah and Izzy hadn't switched, Dave and Scott would still be on the bottom. Now I have to scramble, and I hate scrambling. It makes me look all desperate and stuff."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Izzy jumped between her two alliance members with a smile strung across her face. "C'mon, guys. Lighten up already. E-Scope is back and ready to-"

Noah stood up. "And E-Scope also ruined our games. I had Scarlett out the door, Eva was safe, I was safe, we were winning... It was perfect. Now look at us. We're falling apart at the seams thanks to this alliance."

Izzy began to cry. Her eyes widened like those of a sad little puppy.

Noah rolled his own. "I'm not giving in to the act, Izzy. You can cut it out. Face it: E-Scope might not be the best direction for any of us."

"But it's soooo cooool," Izzy whined.

"I'm with Noah," Eva grunted, trying to get more shut-eye. "E-Scope was a mistake. We drew too much attention to ourselves and now we're targets. _I'm _a target."

Noah and Eva went to sleep, leaving Izzy to cradle herself in her arms.

* * *

**Confessional**

Izzy sighs and smashes her head into the countertop. "This suuuucks. Noah and Eva were so into this before. We had that whole mole thing going on, we we're in alliances, we were just awesome! I really wanted to play with my friends, y'know. This isn't much fun for Izzy." She sniffs and cries. "Stupid Chris and his twist... He'll rue that choice."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Jo's face was up and close and personal to the camera. Her eyes were closed and she was lightly snoring.

_Frrrrrrt..._

Her eyes shot open and her nose started to burn. She quickly stood up and walked off, plugging her nostrils.

* * *

**Confessional**

Jo kicks back and rests her feet on the countertop. "That guy is disgusting. A total waste too. I can't believe he made it the other merge three times. What were they thinking when they kept him? What, were they high on his ass fumes? Someone tell me!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Jo snuck back into First Class once the air had cleared. She took her seat and leaned back, closing her eyes and fading off into sleep.

"Psst."

Jo's eyes shot open and zoomed around the room.

"Over here," came the voice.

The jockette yawned and peered into the darkness. Owen emerged from the shadows and walked towards her, encouraging the beefy girl to narrow her eyes. "What is it?"

"I left my blankie in that seat. I think it slid into the cushion."

Jo blinked. "And..."

"I have trouble sleeping without it sometimes. Especially without Noah around."

Jo leaned back down and reclined the seat. "And I have trouble sleeping with you." Her eyes shot open when Owen giggled. "Get your mind out of that gutter, maggot."

"Sorry. Now can I please look. It'll only take a second."

Jo sighed and jumped off, allowing Owen to reach his fat arms down into the seat. After a few seconds of straining, Owen pulled his little rag out of the seat. It was brown stained and filthy.

"Aww, you do come back," Owen cooed, rubbing the blanket into his face.

Jo pushed Owen back to bed and went back to sleep herself.

* * *

**Confessional**

Owen giggles and hugs his blanket. "Jo can be really mean sometimes, but I always knew she had some good in her. I just hope she doesn't vote me off for all my body weight. You know you're in trouble when the team captain does two hundred squats at midnight... in her sleep."

**End Confessional**

* * *

The Total Drama Jumbo Jet descended from the clouds and squealed to a halt along a busy beach. People ran to escape the incoming mass of steel and some may have died, but thanks to the magic of editing, it wasn't shown and no lawsuits were filed. :)

The twelve remaining players jumped down onto the sand and covered their eyes from the blazing light of the sun. A few spotted tall cliffs in the distance, as well as a heavenly statue atop the tallest peak.

Chris jumped down and spooked the group with his sudden entrance. "Welcome to Copacabana Beach in Rio!"

"Brazil?!" Geoff gasped. "Bro, I've always wanted to come here, man! Surf some waves, play in the white sand, do some rad hang gliding-"

Chris hushed the surfer dude with a finger to his lips. "And you'll be doing none of that today. Sorry, dude."

"What else do you do on a beach?" Eva asked. "Are we tanning or something? Because I don't sunbathe!"

"Relax," Chris yawned. "You're not getting a tan unless you didn't bring sunblock... which applies to all of you. Hehe."

"Well, I have translucent skin," Scarlett groaned. "I burn _very _easily."

Chris merely shrugged before moving on. "No one cares, really. Follow me, everyone!"

* * *

The cast arrived at a volleyball court where attractive young men and women were having fun. Chris blew a whistle and they all looked his way.

"This court is under new management. Everyone out or I get ugly!"

The beachgoers ignored the host, most to his chagrin. A stray ball hit him in the chest and his eyes narrowed. He whipped out a walkie-talkie and snarled into it. "Chef, do the thing."

A few seconds of awkward silence passed and Jo sighed. "What?"

Chris clicked the button again. "Chef, do the thing! That's an order, and I'm the host, so what I say goes!"

Silence of the very awkward variety.

One twenty something with long dark hair and a goatee spoke up in a somewhat Spanish accent. "Look, bro. This place is ours. You wan' it? Get in line."

Chris sighed in defeat. "Fine, but just for the record, I'm famous, so... Yeah."

"Never seen ya'," deadpanned a Latina girl.

The host's eye began to twitch. "Let's just go. We'll find a better place. _Without brats!"_

* * *

Chef's walkie-talkie was on the bed with the batteries popped out and strewn haphazardly across the covers. The bed shook and quaked with sounds of laughter coming from under the sheets. Chef emerged from under the covers playing a handheld console. "Ha! Eat that, ghosts!" He paused and looked around like the room was haunted. "Hmmm. Feels weird. Like Chris needs my help again... Screw it!" He dove back under the covers.

* * *

Chris led the players to a less awesome and more ragged court. The sand was mostly broken shells and the net was half burnt off, but it would have to do. And even so, it wasn't like Chris was playing.

The host pulled a volleyball out of nowhere because host stuff. "Alright, guys. Today, we'll be holding _two _challenges. The first, for reward, is a volleyball game. I'll need two people from each team to step up and play."

Jo jumped forward for Team HP. "Me and Geoff!"

Geoff looked stunned. "Wait... me?"

"You're a beach boy, right?" Jo sighed. "Aren't you all naturally good at this stuff?"

Geoff nervously gave a thumbs up. "Yeah, dude. Spot on, man. We'll crush them."

* * *

**Confessional**

Geoff groans. "I hate volleyball. I'm okay, I guess, but my buds are way better. I'm more of a frisbee guy myself. Played for two hours in a game of Fire Fling. Got burned three times and didn't even cry a tear."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Courtney and Eva reluctantly joined together. "We'll do it!"

"Let's go, ladies!" Noah cheered in a really flamboyant voice. "Put those hormones to work."

Courtney glared back and locked eyes with the snarker.

Noah merely smiled.

Both pairs took their places and Chris raised the ball. "The first pair to get three points wins reward, and it's a good one. Ready... Set... GO!"

The ball went flying and landed on the sand next to the net on Team HP's side. Nobody moved.

"Well?" Chris asked, flabbergasted. "Go for it!"

"_We _serve, not you!" Geoff explained. "You never volleyed before, man?"

Chris blushed and grabbed the ball. "Uh, yeah. I was-"

"Testing us?" Courtney deadpanned. "Doubt it."

Chris sneered and sighed. "Okay, forget it. Just do rock, paper, blah, blah, blah..."

Geoff and Courtney met in the center. Only a millimeter of net kept them apart. They both put their hands behind their backs and drew on "1... 2... 3!"

Geoff threw rock and Courtney threw scissors. Jo smiled wide and Eva snorted like a mad bull. Courtney sighed and rushed back to Eva's side. Chris tossed Geoff the ball and readied himself to referee the game.

Geoff squinted to block out what sun breached the shade of Jasmine's hat. With sharp precision, he launched the ball into the sky and smacked it on the way down, spiking it down between the Vengeance girls.

Eva dove and bumped it back over, scraping her entire body on broken shells. She stood up and saw blood on her leg, but ignored it.

Geoff smacked the ball right back and let Jo step forward to hit when Courtney sent it flying right at them. The jockette leaped up and knocked the ball down, trying to spike it, but ended up hitting the net instead.

"Point for Team Vengeance!"

Courtney fell to the ground and cheered to the heavens. "Yes. Yes! YAS!"

Eva nodded with a smirk and watched Jo beat down the sand with her foot.

* * *

**Confessional**

Eva smiles for once. "It's not that we get along-"

(Static)

"We just like winning," Courtney says.

**End Confessional**

* * *

Noah clapped. "Keep it up, guys! And by that I mean Jo and Geoff! Keep screwing up!"

Jo whipped around to face the little snarker. "You're dead, Bobble-head!"

"Nice one," Noah chuckled. "A little lacking in delivery, but a decent attempt nonetheless."

Jo glared daggers at Noah, but her anger turned to a smirk. "I like him," she whispered.

Chris blew the whistle and Courtney launched the orb over the net. Geoff bumped it back with a well timed bump and Eva had to dive to keep the ball in the air. Jo jumped to slam it down and barely hit the ball, but luckily Geoff was ready to spike it and made contact.

Eva and Courtney dove for the white orb and crashed into each other, allowing the ball to drift down into the shell bank.

"We're tied at one each!" Chris announced, causing Team HP to cheer.

"You got this, guys!" Sky hollered. "Just don't let your guards down. Be the ball!"

Dave rolled his eyes and cheered for his own team. "Don't be the ball! Balls get smacked around! Be the winners!"

"Hey, it was figurative!" Sky barked from across the court.

Dave grabbed a shell and tossed it at Sky, but missed by half the court when it hit Jo in the leg. Sky grabbed her own projectile and launched it too far, sending it over Dave's head.

"Hey!" shouted an aggravated Chris over the commotion. "You two, cut it out. You'll have plenty of time to be sworn enemies in the next challenge."

Dave and Sky turned away from the court and pouted like children who just got timeouts. Curses were heard under their huffing and puffing.

Chris blew the whistle and Geoff casually slapped the ball over the net. Eva bumped it back and nearly hit the barrier, taking Jo's attention off the ball for just a split second as she thought it was a shot too low to clear the top.

Geoff dove for it. "Dude, get-"

Jo went for it as well and the ball went under her outstretched hands.

"Score numero two for Team Vengeance! This might actually be their first win of the season."

Eva and Courtney were beaming and trembling. Nerves rattled in their fibers, the fear was taking over. Just one wrong move and they lost... again.

Jo was still pissed, so she kicked some shells out of their place and went back to her position. Geoff just kind of chilled out like a boss, sure that he'd be able to pull it out if he tried hard enough and didn't get any lame shots.

Eva tossed the ball into the air and leaped to spike it. Jo jumped to the side and bumped it over the net, only to send it right into Courtney's hands. The CIT tossed it back up to the heavens and let Eva do another powerful spike, which hit Geoff in the chest.

The surfer fell over and saw the ball coming towards him. He bumped it back up and called for Jo. The sweatpants-clad captain smacked it over the net, but Eva found a way to spike it once more, landing the ball just across the net. Geoff launched himself into the shells and stopped just short...

"Team Vengeance wins their first challenge and a reward!"

Courtney smiled and collapsed to the ground, clenching her fists and shaking with hype. "Yes! Thank you! Woo!"

Eva sighed with relief and did a pelvic thrust/fist pump combo. The rest of the team cheered and ran onto the court, helping Courtney to her feet.

Jo and Geoff looked crushed.

"We should've won," she snarled to herself. "This is bull. We had a beach boy for crying out loud."

Geoff took a step back. "Hey, brah, not all dudes like me play volleyball, man. Chillax and let it go. It's just one little reward challenge."

Sky grabbed Geoff on the shoulder and cringed. "Just let her vent. Remember, we're on the bottom here."

"Oh, yeah. Right."

Owen wiped the tears from his eyes. "I'm so torn. I'm glad Noah and Izzy won, but I really wanted that reward. What if it was food!? Oh, or maybe it was a _buffet_!"

Scarlett's eyes rolled so hard that her eyes turned pure white.

* * *

**Confessional**

Scarlett pulls out her idol clue and groans. "This team is obnoxious for sure, but at least I have options. Jo and Brick seemed to have obtained the power before the switch, so it would be wise to align with them for the time being. Geoff is purely idiotic, so he'd be easy to manipulate unless that heathen known as Sky gets in the way. Then there's Owen, who will go home next if we lose for being such a waste of flesh. Plus there's an idol hidden somewhere on the plane..." She reads the clue again. "Look to the wobbling star... Meh. No clue. At least I'm the only one looking for it as of now. Or at least I think I am."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Chris approached a joyous Team Vengeance minus Noah, who looked as if he didn't care whatsoever. "Congrats, Team V. For the first time, you've ranked first in something other than the number of losses. For your reward, you'll be getting something you definitely need: showers!"

Courtney squeed and nearly lost herself. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, eeeeee!"

"Better than I expected," Noah said, giving no craps.

Scott looked happy as well. "Does this mean I get to see Courtney-"

"Uh, _no_!" said the CIT with a disgusted look on her face.

Chris nodded. "Sounds like you're all excited, but what fun would this be without a twist?!"

Courtney's smile faded from her face, gradually becoming a look of fear. "Uh... what?"

Chris pulled Eva and Courtney to his side. "Alright, since Courtney and Eva competed for their team, they'll get to make a choice. They can either take cold showers for the whole team... or take spa trips by their twosome!"

Courtney's smile returned brighter and wider than before. Noah and Dave glared at her, trying to hope for the best but expecting the worst. Eva just remained silent, het observed the team reacting to the news.

"Courtney, Eva, this has to be an agreed decision," the host explained slyly. "If you can't come to an agreement, Team HP gets the reward."

Courtney had her answer. "Spa for two."

Chris blinked. "Gotcha. Eva?"

The traitor stood there, looking at Noah and Izzy, her old pal Dave, and Scott. She looked at Courtney and gave her answer. "Spa day..."

Noah closed his eyes and let out a deep, angry sigh. "Unbelievable."

Dave glared at both girls. "I can't believe you."

Izzy gave them puppy eyes and quivered her lip.

Scott snapped his fingers. "Dang... I really wanted to see-"

"However!" Chris added. "You can take one other person with you!"

Courtney turned to Eva. "Scott, right?"

Eva saw her old alliances looking at her from her peripheral vision. She could take Scott and maybe get back on Courtney's not-bad, yet not-good side. Or she could take Noah or Izzy just to piss Courtney off. _Or _she could take Dave and try to sway him over to E-Scope. "Yeah, I guess."

"Booty, here I come!" Scott howled, snickering all the way to the two young women. He wrapped an arm over Courtney's shoulder and got a kick to the shin. "Yoooww!"

Chris scanned over Noah, Izzy, and Dave. "No spa for you guys. I guess that means you can go ahead and move onto the next immunity challenge then." He looked at the seething Team Horsepower. "You guys too! Follow me!"

* * *

Courtney, Eva, and Scott followed a local woman down the beach as Chris led the others into the city to the real challenge. Team Horsepower trailed behind the three remaining Vengeance-ers and boiled in their loss.

"I can't believe this," Jo grumbled to herself with her eyes on the sidewalk below. "We deserved that spa day, and they know it."

Brick put a beefy hand on Jo's shoulder and spoke in an authoritative tone. "Ma'am, I get your anger, but they were losing every challenge. I think it's fair that they won a single reward challenge in exchange for us winning immunity."

Jo sighed and kicked her feet on the ground. "I guess so, but if we lose this one too-"

"We won't," said the cadet. "Just try hard and never give up."

"Wow," she deadpanned. "Way to be original."

Owen and Scarlett stayed at the back of the pack. The chubby teen looked sad, but Scarlett didn't care. She just kept her poker face.

"I feel bad for Noah and Izzy," said Owen. "I wish they went on the spa trip instead of Courtney and Scott. Those two have been nothing but mean all season long."

Scarlett walked ahead. "Well, they didn't get to go, so live with it."

* * *

**Confessional**

Owen draws smiley faces on the window in his moist breath. "Being away from Noah hurts. I thought I could handle it, but every person here but Geoff just ignores me. I need someone to hug again, that's all. Let's see..."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Geoff was telling Sky about his latest party tricks when Owen launched into his back and squeezed him tight. "Ahhhhhhhh..." he gasped for breath.

Sky panicked and tried to pull Owen off, but the fat... it was too much to handle. "Hey, get off!"

Owen whined like a dog and retreated, leaving Sky to groan. "What a pain in the butt."

Geoff dusted himself off. "No biggie. The big guy's just a little alone over here. That's all." He turned and gave Owen a friendly wave.

"But how can you stand him?" Sky gasped, lost for words. "He's so annoying and clingy."

Geoff shrugged. "Tell him to stop, make things clear, works like a charm. Take control, you know, man?"

Sky paused. "Uh huh, yeah. Got it."

"Deja Vu?"

The athlete rolled her eyes. "Pfft, no. I mean, yeah, no, maybe... Ugh!"

* * *

**Confessional**

Sky bangs her head against the wall. "Why. Won't. It. Stop? Just let me shrug it off already. He didn't want to hear the _but _and..." She pauses and buries her face in her hands. "Get yourself together. You just have to beat Dave once and for all and take the million for yourself. No more conflict, just redemption. Just... redemption."

**End Confessional**

* * *

The contestants arrived at the challenge site: an abandoned lot covered in garbage bags. Three zones of color were painted on the concrete. One blue, one red, and a purple zone in the middle. Both end zones had a large wooden box on wheels and a few bags, but the purple zone had most of the bags plus some planks of wood.

Chris moved to the front of the crowd and directed all attention to himself. "Teams, this is your immunity challenge. In the spirit of the Brazilian Carnival Festival, you'll be making parade floats to show off in a 'parade' of sorts tonight. Each zone is filled with supplies that you may use to spruce up your floats, which are already build for you. Team V will stick to the red zone and Team HP will stick to the blue zone, but the purple zone is special. It's called a free zone, and anyone can get the goodies inside by any means necessary. And yes, physical contact is allowed. It might be worth it for the best supplies on the field. At the end of the day, the team with the most applause from the crowd wins immunity. The losers _will _be voting somebody off. Any questions?"

Dave raised his hand. "Uh, yeah. What about our three MIA teammates? Shouldn't we wait for them to come back?"

"Sorry," Chris said with a shrug. "It's an all day spa, so I guess you're down by half your team."

Jo smirked. "Guess I'm _glad _we lost. Huh. Lucky us."

Noah narrowed his eyes and curled his lips. "That's not fair. We won the _reward, _not a disadvantage. Just take three of Team Over-Power out of the mix."

"Coulda, woulda, _won'ta!"_ Chris chimed in song. "You have four hours to make your floats. Chop chop, people!"

The teams went to work, but Noah just gave Chris a look of disgust. Izzy came up from behind and grabbed his shoulders. "It's okay, No-No! We don't need all that muscle. We've got Izzy, Noah's brain, and... that weird guy! We're like the A-Team, but without a buff black guy to say "fool" a lot. Hey, maybe Lightning could come back and-"

"Let's just get this done." Noah brushed her off and grabbed the nearest bag.

Izzy sniffed with a sorrowful look. "Oh, uh, okay."

* * *

Jo grabbed a bag and dumped it out on the ground. A bunch of colored feathers spilled out and blew away in the breeze. "Well, I guess we need-"

"There's a lot of feathers!" Geoff shouted, dumping another bag out. "We could make a pretty decent float just usin' feathers!"

Jo slapped her face. "We need more than feathers, we need-"

"Long, hard wood!" Owen boomed, dragging a plank from the purple zone.

Jo gasped. "That's it, team. Get everything from that purple zone into the blue!"

Dave heard Jo's commands and ran to grab something. Noah and Izzy followed behind, picking up as many trash bags as possible. The six HP members overpowered the weaker three and took their things, leaving the purple zone a mess of feathers, ribbons, streamers, and junk. Team Vengeance had managed to grab a couple extra bags, but Team Horsepower had at least seventy percent of the supplies.

"Great," Dave mumbled.

"Don't give up, we can still win," Izzy laughed. "They have waaay more stuff than they need, right?"

Noah grabbed a bag and some glue and went to feathering a tarp. Dave helped out by dumping bags into the red zone and sorting them into piles.

"Darn," Izzy cursed. "You guys need to have more fun."

* * *

Courtney and Eva were living it up. Mud baths, massages, pedicures, good food, the best day of the season. Scott had left to use the restroom, leaving the two girls alone in their chairs, towels wrapped around their bodies, drinks in their hands, and cucumber over their eyes.

"It feels nice to get out of the game," Courtney yawned. "Even if I have to spend it with... questionable company."

Eva let a slight growl slip. "Yeah. Same."

The CIT took a sip of her punch and sighed with ecstasy. "I could just lay here all day. Still, I wonder what the others are up to."

"Probably hating us, but mostly you." Eva took a sip like a boss.

Courtney shifted in her seat and spilled a little on her cleavage. "_Crap_... Well, maybe they're just jealous of my stellar gameplay and five season record. If you stayed loyal, maybe you wouldn't be so dead to me and maybe you'd have a chance to make the finale."

"I have a chance. As good as yours."

Courtney couldn't help but snort with laughter. "Hehe, really. You're done, and you should accept it. Even if you make the merge, you'll still go home first for being such a huge time bomb and a beast in more ways than one."

"You don't know that. You're an idiot."

"Eva, I have an alliance of three. You have Noah and Izzy, two lame players with no shot of beating me in a tiebreaker or outfoxing me if they merge."

Eva snorted. "You're cocky. That's what gets you every time."

"But this is my fifth season, so I've learned how to curb that stuff like a pro. Face it: I'm the best player this season and you have no shot."

"Big words coming from someone who's never made the final three in her four seasons. Heather twice made it and won. Duncan made it and almost won. Owen made it twice and almost won. You've played just as much as they have and you still haven't made it. Face it: you're a terrible player and you'll lose."

Courtney tossed her drink down her throat and threw the glass away. "I don't need your opinion."

"Good. I don't think you deserve it."

A voice suddenly sounded and the girls removed the cucumber. "Hola."

A woman stood holding a note in her hand. "For you."

Courtney grabbed the paper and read it aloud. "_You're closer than ever, and yet so far. Finding safety is..."_

"What is it?" Eva asked, peeking over at the page.

Something clicked in Courtney's mind and she tore up the paper. "Nothing."

Eva knew what was up. She didn't like it. "Was that an idol clue?!"

"N-no, just-"

Eva ripped Courtney from her seat by the arm. "It _was _a clue! Tell me what it said."

Courtney pulled back. "No. Let go of-"

"Tell me! Now!"

The girls fell over and Eva yanked on Courtney's towel, pulling the sheet off her body and leaving her completely nude. Censor bars covered up everything but her face as Scott walked in and fell victim to the sight of... everything.

Courtney grabbed the towel back and ran off to get her clothes. Scott's jaw dropped and his eyes went wide. Eva just smirked.

* * *

**Confessional**

Scott looks into the camera with dilated pupils. "I have seen the light."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Courtney quickly put her clothes back on and thought about the "wobbling star" from the clue. It was obviously an idol, and she wanted it... badly.

Scott entered the room and laughed. "Nice set of-"

"Shut it!" Courtney hissed. "And come here."

Scott went red with excitement. "Oh, wow, were moving fast, I see. I'm game, just let me-"

"Oh, grow up. I'm not taking any more time to _think _about what just happened. I found a clue to the idol."

Scott raised a brow. "Nice. Need me to find it? I'm good a finding idols without a clue, so finding one _with_ a clue should be a cinch."

"Well, I don't know where to look. The clue could be talking about the spa or the plane or wherever. Eva's going to tell _everyone _I have this info, and we need to work fast. Can you still whittle?"

"Do it everyday. Why?"

"Well, make a fake one like you did in your season. If we can't find the real one, we can at least make it look like I'm untouchable. No one would even think about voting for anyone with an idol in their pocket. We could even use it as a bargaining chip too."

Scott gave his crush a smirk. "I like the way you think... and your butt's amazing."

Courtney rolled her eyes. "Yeah, thanks. Just get to work. I'll see if I can find that Chris head before we leave."

"Gotcha. But what about Brawny McTraitorson out there?"

"She knows I have a clue. Just roll with it, but don't let her see you whittling. If you have to, use the bathroom to get some privacy. We good?"

"Oh, yeah, definitely. I still like your butt though. It's just... perfect."

Courtney pushed Scott out of the room and slammed the door.

* * *

**Confessional**

Eva slams her fist into the window, creating a small crack. "Crap! If she finds an idol, she's immune when we tie the votes and one of us goes home. _Then _we're outnumbered and we just _hand _her alliance the game. But now I know there's an idol out there, and whatever happens, I'll make sure that Courtney doesn't get her grubby little mitts on it."

**End Confessional**

* * *

The floats were coming along nicely.

Team Horsepower had their block of wood draped in a tarp and covered with blue, green, and purple feathers. Two pieces of wood were nailed together to create a tent shape and a spotlight was fastened to the top. Each corner of the float was adorned with a feathery plank standing upright. Streamers and ribbons hung between them and carried paper lanterns on their ropes. Off to the side, Sky was making costumes out of leather and feathers for the girls to wear during the presentation. The guys were going to wear a feather necklace and go shirtless while the girls did a local dance.

Jo held a plank up to the float as Scarlett hammered it in nail by nail. Once it was tight and set, Scarlett looked to her teammate. "It's coming along nicely. Much better than expected for just four hours."

"Yeah, it's good. A mess, but a good mess, I guess." Jo tapped the float and peeled off a couple feathers. "Hopefully it stays together until the end. I'd hate to have it break apart at the last minute for no reason."

"I believe my hammer work did the trick. Ahem, my I ask you a question?"

Jo turned her head and gave Scarlett a suspicious look. "What?"

"Do you have need for an alliance?"

Jo just stood there, pondering the question. _She's a cold killer, but she's smart. Plus, I need help getting back on top with the team. Ugh, why her?! Scarlett Witch is going to kill me in my sleep, but maybe it could work. She's a lot more docile and reserved than she was in Scarlett Fever, but she's a good actor..._

"Well? I'm waiting. Geoff, Sky, and Owen could rally together and take you out next if we lose. Allow me to join your alliance with Brick and we can tie it up."

Jo looked at Brick, Sky, Geoff, and Owen sorting stuff into piles twenty yards away. "Tempting, but quick question: How did you know about all of our alliances over here?"

"I'm always watching," she replied with a wink. "Observation is the key to success."

Jo threw the two feathers back on the float and grabbed Scarlett's hand. "Deal, but only if you promise not to go crazy and kill one of us. Okay?"

"I'd never do that," Scarlett chuckled wickedly. "It would violate my contract."

* * *

On Team Vengeance, the float was... less than spectacular. The feathers and tarp with all warped and unevenly spread. The streamers just kind of hung from wherever and dragged along the ground. The lack of teammates, coupled with the lack of supplies, was crippling the trio.

"This is lame," Dave said as he observed every inch of the float. "Like, _lamer_ _than_ _Sky_ lame."

"I think it's a work of art," Izzy laughed menacingly. "Think of it as subtext, like in a Van Gobbledygook thing."

"Well, I think it's lame," Noah sighed. "Looking at Team OPs float and considering our lack of muscle with three people gone, I'd say we're hosed."

"We're _hoes?!"_ Izzy gasped. "Wicked! Haha!" She put on a pair of do-me eyes and grabbed Noah's chest. "Hey, sex machine, you wanna get fuh-reakay with the Iz-zay?"

Noah pushed Izzy away and grabbed one of the last unopened bags. "Well, it's not like we have a chance right now. The only way to win would be to burn the other float to the ground and Izzy, don't try it." He opened the bag and pulled out some pre-made bird costumes for both sexes. "Hey, anyone wanna try this on?"

Dave cringed. "Ew! That's probably been infected with the plague or something. Put it back!"

Noah sealed the bag. "Dave, you really need to get over your stupid issues."

The crybaby started to whine. "I do not have stupid issues. I can't help it if I have a fear of germs, and dirt, and grease, and rats, and-"

"That's your choice to be afraid." Noah took a pile of dirt and tossed it at Dave, who ducked out of the way with a squeal.

"I can't just _choose _to not be afraid!"

"Get over it. Your phobias are only in your head. Maybe if you looked at germs as something other than the worst of the worst, you'd get over it in no time."

Dave kicked the clod away and knocked it off his shoe. "But germs are bad. They get me sick, they kill people, they-"

Noah took over, rolling his eyes back and forth. "Make your yogurt, digest food, decompose waste, help prevent diseases... Need I continue?"

"But those are _good _germs."

"So? They're germs."

"..."

"You could at least try to get over it. I mean, I saw you use two pairs of rubber gloves, a mask, hand sanitizer, and goggles to scrape a dried booger off the opposite wall because 'it was looking at you funny'. That's stupid."

Dave kicked the clod of dirt again. "Yeah, well maybe I'm just playing safe... Or maybe my immune system's weak and I get really sick if I ever get even the smallest cold. Ever thought of that?"

Noah shook his head. "No. Not really. I guess, uh, that's a pretty good reason. Sorry about all the confrontation. You just annoy me."

"Same here," Dave scoffed with a slight smile. "You're just so uptight and inconsiderate."

Noah crossed his arms and grinned. "And you're just so obnoxious and bratty."

"Izzy's got gas!"

Both boys looked over to see Izzy holding a can of gasoline. Noah could only shake his head.

* * *

The sun was setting and only thirty minutes remained in the challenge. Eva, Courtney, and Scott approached the challenge area to find Noah, Dave, and Izzy glaring at them.

Courtney looked at the messy float and was confused. "So we have to repair that really crappy float?"

Noah growled.

"I'll take that as a no."

"You missed the challenge," Dave moaned. "That stupid reward exiled half the team for this one and now we're losing _again_!"

Scott grabbed some feathers and started playing with them. "Cool feathers."

Izzy slapped them out of the redneck's hand. "No! Bad Russell Hantz expy! No feathers for you!"

"Who's this Hantz guy?!" Scott asked, backing off. "Should I know him?"

Eva pushed Scott aside and looked at the float. "We should've thrown the reward."

"And miss that spa day?!" asked a stunned Courtney. "Uh, no."

"Why?" Eva asked, the air getting thick with a sudden tension. "Becuase you found an idol clue?"

Noah gasped. Dave gasped. Izzy licked her lips.

Courtney turned red with shame. She knew this was going to happen, but she was terrified nonetheless. "No. The spa was just fun. That's all."

"You have a clue." Noah walked up to Courtney. "Give it up. Now."

"I threw it away. It's gone and I didn't even read it." Courtney cringed at her lie. It was that bad.

"You read it out loud," Eva hissed. "I heard you and you stopped in the middle when you realized what it was!"

"I'll never find it," Courtney argued. "It's not happening."

Scott randomly jumped into the fray. "Yeah, if anyone would find it, it's me!"

Courtney grabbed her face. "I'm sorry. I know it looks bad, but-"

"But what?" Noah asked rhetorically. "What could you possibly say to cover your ass on this? Just tell us the clue and we'll drop it."

"Something... about the cargo hold." She lied again. Her grave was only getting deeper.

"Okay," Noah shrugged. "You lie. But enough of this. Let's just get things ready for the challenge. We have, what? Ten, fifteen minutes?!"

* * *

Jo picked up some of Sky's costumes and put on a feathery necklace. Sky rushed to take it off and handed her a dress and headpiece. "No, the girls wear these."

Jo scoffed and took the necklace back. "Uh, I'm not wearing some blue feather bikini, _Air Head. _I have way too much dignity for that thing."

"I concur," Scarlett said. "I'll wear the necklace."

Sky grabbed her costumes and looked at Owen, Geoff, and Brick. "Well then I guess you guys might be wearing the girl ones."

"That's cool," Owen said grabbing one and slipping it on over his thick frame. Feathers stood straight out around his waist like some kind of saw blade. "Lookin' good?"

"Hot, man," Geoff said, high-diving his bud.

Brick saluted and grabbed a dress. "If I must... for the good of our team, I shall ruin my image."

* * *

**Confessional**

Brick sits in the confessional with the outfit on and a smile across his lips. "I think I like this. It makes me feel beautiful, like a swan going into battle."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Chris took center stage and calmed the crowd of parade-goers with his hands. "Now now, settle down, people. The show's about to start!"

Jo peeked out of the curtain Chris had set up in front of the lot. The crowd was wild and ready for a show. She gave her Team a thumbs up and Team Vengeance watched from behind, scared of the inevitable loss.

"First up: Team Horsepower!"

Scarlett took the wheel and started pedalling the float out of the curtain and Jo and Geoff took their places in front of Sky, Owen, and Brick. The fabric split and the float entered the light, glimmering with blues and greens, like a wild macaw in flight at first light. The spotlight turned on and Jo and Geoff were lit up. They joined hands and lifted them to the sky as the crowd let out a slight cheer. Then, with a flash of light, the duo sunk into the shadows and the trio of 'female' dancers took center stage. Brick, Sky, and Owen shook their hips side to side and did some bellydancing as a sea of glitter surrounded their wriggling forms and gathered in their feathers, making them glow. The crowd went wild and, despite the lack of female dancers aside from a nervous Sky, the dance was still sexy. Jo and Geoff emerged again and the five dancers formed a human pyramid as their show ended.

Chris held up a small meter, an applause-meter to be exact, and checked the crowd's audio level. "Nice job, Team HP! That's a solid 8 on the scale. It's gonna take a miracle for Team Vengeance to win this one!"

Noah heard the cheering and emotionally quit on the spot. He took his spot at the wheel and peddled the float into the open and the crowd cheered for the sake of it.

The set up was poor and messy. Feathers were falling off every second and streamers were slapping people in their faces. The red glitter stormed up all at once and flew away, leaving the last five members of the team with nothing to accompany their dance. They stepped out with pre-made costumed that looked pretty good, albeit a little old and crumbly. Each person had a hood resembling a bird beak, a chest plate made of feathers, and a set of rainbow wings. They all twirled around and around, taking some time to flap with the background music. The crowd was cheering, but they weren't loud enough.

Izzy looked upon bored expressions and people texting. Then she realized it was all on her to win it. She had the master plan, she had the stuff, she had the victory in sight. "This looks like a job for... _Explosivo!"_ Izzy pulled out a remote and the team jumped ship. Noah ended up jumping straight into the crowd and landed flat on his face when they didn't bother to catch him. Scott and Courtney jumped together and landed together... on top of each other. Eva just dropped and rolled off the side like a boss.

Izzy pressed the button. Gasoline caught fire. Everything went white and then to chaos. Screams erupted from the crowd and everyone fled the terror of the explosion. The smoke cleared and nobody was left but the host and the contestants.

Chris looked at the meter. "It's... a 10 point score!"

Noah looked up. "No. Way."

Courtney got on her feet. "We won? We won?!"

"Yes!" Chris said. "Well, maybe you would have had this score been judged from _screams of death and terror. _Because you didn't even score any cheers, Team HP wins, _again._"

Jo snickered and reveled in another win as Brick gave her a high five. Scarlett, Geoff, and Sky looked satisfied, but Owen ran to the wreckage of the blown up float.

"Izzy! Izzy, talk to me! Tell me you're _ali-hi-hive!"_

Izzy popped out of the burnt wreckage with ash all over and some burning hair. "That. Was. Amazing. Let's do that again!"

Owen hugged Izzy tight. "I thought you died!"

Izzy laughed. "Haha! Nothing can destroy Explosivo! _Boom_ _boom_!"

* * *

Courtney and Scott sat alone in Economy Class. Both looked ticked off.

"I hate this season," Courtney mumbled. "I don't even know who to vote off!"

"Eva?" Scott suggested.

"Or Izzy? Or Noah?"

"Basically, what we we're already sure about doing."

"Yeah. I just don't want to go to another tie breaker. Once was enough in Season 3."

Scott tapped his chin and thought about it. "Okay, then maybe you can convince someone to flip. You have an 'idol', right?"

Courtney felt the bulge in her pocket. "Yeah, I do. I'm talking to Noah. Make sure to keep thing on the down low until the vote. I don't want anything getting out."

"Roger." Scott watched Courtney's fine butt leave the room as a smile came across his chops. "Damn, honey. That's still a good butt."

* * *

Noah heard Courtney enter the canteen and turned to face her. "What? You wanna rub it in my face that I might go home again?"

"No." Courtney took a seat. "We need to talk."

"About what?"

"The chances of you siding with us."

Noah raised a brow. "You're joking."

"No, not this time. I'm serious. If you side with us, well, we'll take out Izzy and Eva before you. If you stay with the girls, and we tie... I play this, one of them goes, and then you go next." Courtney pulled out the Chris idol and Noah's heart stopped. "I found it today. See the seal on the bottom?" She turned it over and there was a little stamp of Chris' face on the bottom.

Noah took a deep breath. "It's real?"

She nodded.

Noah took some time, but he came up with an idea. "How do I know you're not screwing me over? What if you're all voting for me and don't want a tie?"

Courtney knew there was no way to prove it, but she tried. "Look, I hate your guts, but you're not a hindrance. If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have had a float to show in the first place. You're smart. So, think about it. You come with us and you're safe. Side with them and you're toast. Your choice."

Noah leaned forward and stared into Courtney's soul. "Give me your PDA."

"Why?"

"So if you boot me, you boot your precious little device too. That would prove you're trustworthy for now."

Courtney gulped and pulled it out. "But it doesn't get service."

"Don't care. Just hand it over. Make this deal a little mutual."

Courtney dropped her phone into Noah's hands. "There. Now, here's the plan..."

* * *

**Confessional**

Noah types some stuff into the PDA. "Yeah, I could go with the Vengeful Triad and betray my old alliance, but maybe I won't. Courtney's idol is obviously a fake. I mean, _look_ at it. The proportions are off, the chin is a little _too _butt-like, the seal is just eyeliner... Give me a break. Still, there are pros to both choices. I'd hate to go to a tie and lose one of our own because I'd go home next. Then again, having dominion over the game with my alliance of three plus Scarlett and Owen would be sweet. We'll just have to see..."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Chris read the votes as the six losers waited anxiously for the results. Eva and Courtney exchanged some 'You're dead to me' glares, Noah remained stone cold and poker faced, Dave was just kicking the ground, Scott was peeking another glimpse at you know what, and Izzy was licking her eyeball... somehow.

"Wow. This was a shocker," Chris said, pulling out five barf bags. "Of course I could just be saying that to throw you kids off the obvious outcome, but who knows? Me, that's who."

Noah was still calm and emotionless.

"The first bag goes to... Scott!"

The farmer snatched his bag and grinned. "Called it.L

"Dave gets a bag as well!"

Dave dodged the germy sack and shuddered when it hit the floor and squished.

"Noah, you're safe too."

Noah let the bag fall into his lap. He set it aside and leaned forward, still dull and lifeless.

"Courtney, you may or may not have an idol and, along with Eva the rageaholic, won your team a huge disadvantage and made them feel like crud. Pretty good reasons to boot one of you. Izzy, you blew up your team's float and yourself, not like you were winning anyways though. Still, that reckless behavior is a pretty good reason to boot _you_."

Courtney and Eva gulped. Izzy just smiled like the Grinch and kicked her feet against the bottom bleacher.

"Courtney!"

The CIT gasped. "What?"

"You're safe!" Chris tossed her the bag.

Courtney fell back to catch it and hit any angry Eva. The buff young woman looked around confused. How was she on the bottom with Izzy?! It was impossible!

Izzy just scoffed. "Dude, get your math right. Courtney got votes. Do you not see the facts!?"

Chris smirked. "Oh, she got votes. Two of 'em to be precise. One of _you _got four votes!"

Eva's face went from confusion, to anger, to fear. "Who flipped?! Who?!" She looked from Noah to Izzy with bulging eyes. "I swear I'll tear this place apart!"

"Not so fun, is it?" Courtney sneered from her seat. "Having your trust in someone and then getting it crushed. Sound familiar?"

Eva realized what was happening. She was _pissed_. Her face turned red and her lips started to shake. Steam flowed from her ears and her teeth rattled with rage. She saw Noah look down from the corner of her eye and snapped her head to face him. "(Bleep) you!"

Noah just buried his head in his lap and heard the last name get called. He was ashamed and terrified at the same time, and it killed him inside.

"And the last bag goes to..."

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"_Eva!"_

Eva caught her bag and tossed it at the ground. She wasn't sure if she should've been happy about staying or fuming at Noah for flipping.

Izzy stood up and shrugged. "Myeh. It was fun. I got to blow stuff up, got to blow more stuff up, got to make out with a chick. No hard feelings, guys." She looked to Noah, who was still hiding in his lap. "Hey, it's okay, Noah. Don't feel bad. Sure, you betrayed E-Scope and should expect a large black guy with a gun and a cool catchphrase at your door after the season's over, but it's cool... and kind of hot."

Chris tossed Izzy the chute. "Izzy, so long. I'm sure you'll find plenty of things to do that aren't life-threatening, but I'm sure you will."

Izzy stopped. "Oh, wait! I can't leave yet!"

"Uh, why?" asked the host.

"Because Izzy hasn't had an epic battle with Chef Hatchet yet! It's a tradition that must be honored!"

Chris shrugged. "Fine then. Chef!"

Chef came roaring into the room with a paintball gun. Izzy launched herself at the cook and the two battled it out as Noah finally looked up. He was beaten.

"What have I done?" he whispered. _I'm so dead. _

Eva ran off kicking anything in her path as Courtney smirked. She had won.

Chris popped up in front of the Izzy/Chef battle. "Huge blindsides, idol clues, and broken souls galore! See all of the above and more on the next episode of Total Drama... World Tour... Round Trip!"

* * *

**The Votes**

Izzy: 4

Courtney: 2

**Eliminated: Max, Zoey, Dawn, Jasmine, Rodney, Lightning, Izzy**

**Team Vengeance: Courtney, Eva, Dave, Scott, Noah**

**Team Horsepower: Jo, Geoff, Sky, Brick, Owen, Scarlett**

* * *

**Drop of Shame: Izzy**

Izzy fell through the sky doing cartwheels. "Alright. This is awesome. I mean, not getting voted off, but falling at terminal velocity. Totally hot, right?" She pulls on the chute cord and slows down to a safe pace. "I still can't believe how fun this was. Noah was _waaay_ smarter than me though. I should've voted myself out before he had the brilliant idea. That would've been awesome."

She landed on a small section of the beach and removed the chute. A ball suddenly came out of nowhere and hit her in the head. Her neck snapped to the side and her eyes narrowed. "Oh, it's on!"

_Police are still unable to locate the madwoman responsible for the deaths of seventy-three beachgoers. Experts say the woman used something large and soft to suffocate them all in their beach chairs, though the only thing to be found at the crime scene was a discarded bra. The study will continue into the following weeks._

**End Drop of Shame: Izzy**

* * *

**Reasoning: **As an Izzy hater, I thought I'd be happy to get rid of her, but writing her has given me a new respect for just how much potential she has as far as comedy goes. She was never going far nor was she lasting any longer than maybe 11th place in the earlier boot orders I had in mind. Realistically, I feel like Noah and Eva would be more useful in challenges than a total goofball, and that's why I feel solid with sending her home at Noah's hands. I felt like Izzy would be one of the wildest characters of the season, so I went all out with the random I hope you enjoyed her short run. :)

* * *

**~A/N~ And so ends another overdue chapter, and one of my favorites as well despite the predictability up until the end. I wanted to get this out sooner, but 50% of it was written yesterday when I had a huge burst of inspiration after a two month dead zone. I can't make any promises, but I hope to get the next chapter out in February. **

**Review Questions:**

**1\. Was Noah's flip understandable and believable? (Basically, he could side with Courtney and get out 4th on the team instead of 5th. He's thinking strategy, and siding with Courtney would let him go farther than risking a tie breaker and going out next.)**

**2\. Who do you think will **_**not**_** make the merge? I won't reveal when the merge is or how many people will make it, but it's close.**

**3\. Who will find the idol first? Courtney, Scarlett... or someone else? :)**

**Thanks for all the reviews again, guys. You're all awesome and I love hearing your thoughts. Until the next chapter, make sure to vote on the new poll on my profile and have a good one. **


	12. Gabones To Pick

**~A/N~ Sorry for the lateness. Again. At least this episode should be good. I've been hyped to get to this one since the first line of the season and I hope it doesn't disappoint. Also, remember to vote on the poll after you finish this episode. Enjoy.**

* * *

_Episode 12: Gabones To Pick_

* * *

"Last time on Total Drama, our final twelve landed in sunny Rio, Brazil and did some beach volleyball for a huge reward. Team Vengeance won their first challenge, only to have it become a disadvantage when half of their team was taken on a spa day vacation thanks to a clever twist crafted by moi. At said spa, players unwound, fought over idol clues, and schemed up some plans to turn the game on its head. At our Carnival challenge, Team Horsepower ran away with another victory and Izzy blew her chances sky high. To avoid a tie, Courtney bribed Noah to flip to her alliance in exchange for more time in the game as well as her PDA. At elimination time, Eva was shocked at Noah's betrayal and Izzy was booted for, well, being Izzy. Only eleven remain! Stick around to see who gets the boot, here, on Total Drama... World Tour... Round Trip!"

(Cue the theme song)

* * *

Noah sat in Economy Class as the sounds of crashing sounded from below. He had this sorrowful, if not panicked, look on his face and tapped the window with his fingers in a rhythm.

Courtney tapped the bookworm on the shoulder and watched him turn to face her. "Hey, it's okay. You made the right choice. Pretty smart move, I say."

Noah sneered and turned away. "I feel awful. I just broke my alliance since the first season and now Eva's on a rampage. I know it's the best move to make, but maybe... I played too much with my head and not my heart."

Dave and Scott took their seats. The former shrugged and gave Noah a pat on the back.

"Trust me when I say playing with your heart is a bad idea. Just look at me! I threw away a million dollars just so Sky could lie to my face and stomp on my heart."

Noah got up and paced across the room. "This is different. I feel all dirty, and even though it's just a game, I hate what I had to do."

"That's life," Scott pointed out. "Back on the farm, I get all sad when my chickens die. But I get happy when I get a full belly and a nice meal. You just need to see all the pros here, man."

"Scott's right," said Courtney. "You have our protection into the next vote we go to. If we lose, it's Eva going and not you. It's okay to play the game, and you're playing it well."

Noah crossed his arms and leaned towards Courtney. "Well, because of your little scheme, Eva's pissed, I'm all alone, and we're losing our best players one by one. There's a reason this team never wins any challenges."

"Luck. Bad luck," Dave suggested.

"No," Noah groaned. "It's _Courtney_ and her terrible leadership skills."

Courtney just look stunned. "Uh, excuse me! I'm the backbone of this team. I'm team captain and have led us in every challenge and vote. I was a CIT!"

Noah snorted arrogantly and walked off to find a safe place to hide when _she _came back.

* * *

**Confessional**

Noah tosses the PDA in the air and lets it hit the ground. "Truth be told, I'm fine with my move. Izzy was a loose cannon and really didn't put any effort into anything this season other than being weird. What I'm upset about is how many friends and allies I'm going to lose with this move. Owen might not trust me, Eva _really _doesn't trust me, and I'm sure Izzy is crushed behind her layer of Izzy-ness. The only person left that would still align with me 100% is Scarlett. Yep, I'm screwed."

(Static)

Courtney gives a snide look. "Noah's so easy to play and it's awesome. I thought someone so smart would know that trusting his enemy was a terrible idea, but I guess my powers of manipulation are just that good. He can go next for all I care, because Eva's our only hope at winning these challenges, and if we merge at 8 or 9 like I suspect, it's still a ways off, so we need to knock out some Horsepowers to even things out. Noah can run his mouth and do puzzles, but Eva's got what we need... and Noah's got my PDA! Crap! Why did I agree to that?!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Eva sat in silence, surrounded by broken boxes and foam peanuts. Sweat and tears mixed in her eyes as her breath grew violent, as if even it was ready to punch someone.

"Where is it? Where?!"

She heard a rat scurry across the floor and watched it pick apart the foam, looking for something edible. She calmly raised a fist and smacked it away. "Stupid game... Stupid Courtney... Stupid lying traitor."

* * *

**Confessional**

Eva struggles in ignoring her urge to explode as her face turns red. "I've been up for ten hours looking for Courtney's stupid idol. If I lose a challenge and it's not a reward one, I'm (bleep)ing hosed! It's all Noah's fault! To think I trusted that little rat, it makes me sick."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Team Horsepower enjoyed a bountiful pancake breakfast in First Class in contrast to the dark gloom of Economy. Jo and Brick were having a subtle eating contest in which Jo was ahead by two whole flapjacks. Owen was beating them both.

Geoff inhaled as many as possible, but ended up choking and slowing down. Sky just ate in silence as Scarlett watched over the others.

"This team is awesome!" Owen cheered. "_Brrrp_!l

"Even without Noah and Izzy?" Geoff asked his buddy.

Owen sighed, but stayed positive. "Well, hopefully they're both still here. If we all make the merge, we'll be epic!"

Jo froze and looked to Brick and Scarlett. "Uh, yeah. Epic. Right."

Owen pulled out his blanket and used it as a bib. "You guys could even join in! We'd be totally awesome and run the game."

Scarlett scoffed. "Pfft. The odds of an alliance of eight managing to stay loyal is highly unlikely, especially given the average merge count of precisely 8.16666667, meaning that at best, we would be cannibalizing our own as soon as the teams become no more in the event that Noah and Izzy survived all eliminations leading up to said merge. And then we have Eva..." She noticed the bored expressions around the table. "Never mind."

"Cool facts," Sky said. "But things aren't exactly stable around here. Kind of like your head."

"Ooooh!" Geoff raised a hand and whooped. "Scarlett just got launched Sky high!"

Sky visibly cringed.

* * *

**Confessional**

Sky rolls her eyes. "I thought Dave was a problem, but Scarlett is way worse in her own ways. At least Dave's kind of, sort of sane at times. Scarlett's probably doing something evil at night, like turning my hair into acid or something."

(Static)

Scarlett drops a long black hair into a beaker of chemicals, sparking a fizzy reaction. "Interesting results. This will do nicely in melting Owen's face off shall he interfere with my plans."

**End Confessional**

* * *

The plane began its descent and Chris took to the PA to announce the next location. "Attention, passengers! We're making a rough landing in Gabon shortly, so get your butts to the nearest exit pronto!"

...

The contestants filed out of the plane in their respective teams and were greeted by rolling hills and a wild river, as well as some patchy forests. Grasslands spread out for miles where herds of gazelles and other antelope grazed on green grass, and where these plains met forest stood tall elephants. The river was flowing with rapids and littered with rocks. The splashes of crocs and hippos appeared every now and then to remind of the dangers of Africa.

"Welcome to Gabon, Africa!" Chris announced.

Eva stood away from her team while Noah hid behind the other three. She didn't even want to look at him.

"Bring it on!" she shouted, freaking out the whole cast, especially Owen, who stood trembling in his sneakers, biting his lower lip.

* * *

**Confessional**

Owen looks nervous as he scans the room. "I can't believe Izzy's gone! Yeah, the kiwi abuse was scary, but I didn't even get to say goodbye. Oh, Noah must be so crushed."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Noah was calm as could be. He showed no fear, but he knew to keep his distance from Eva and her big muscles.

Scarlett smiled wickedly. "Good riddance," she said under her breath. "Pest."

Chris grabbed a clipboard and a pen. "Alright, for today's challenge, you'll be competing in three separate events related to Gabonese culture. The first event is a rocky jump across the local rapids."

The host pointed to the raging whitecaps. "All you have to do is get your team across the river using nothing but the visible rocks as stepping stones. Now, some, if not all, of the rocks will be really slippery and you'll probably fall... a lot. Hehe."

"Easy," Brick boasted. "I've done training like this in boot camp and medalled twice."

"We're they _participation_ medals?" Scarlett asked with a smirk.

The cadet stumbled over his words and his eyes went to the ground. "Uh, no, well-"

"Hey!" Chris said. "I was talking. Yeah, the host has priority. Biiiig shocker. Ahem. The second event is a competition to build a sweet Gabonese hut using mud, leaves, wood, anything you can find _lion _around... Get it?"

"Weak," Jo groaned. "Very weak."

Chris glared daggers at the jockette. "And the third event is a gang hang on a wooden bar, with a twist of course. The team that wins two events wins immunity and the losers get to give somebody the boot. Understood?"

The cast gave a halfhearted "Meh."

* * *

**Confessional**

Geoff flips Jasmine's hat into the air and tops his head perfectly. "Africa's the bomb, man. Rad beaches, wicked animals, cool people, good stuff, y'know. I just hope we keep winning, because I'm, like, way out of the loop with this team's strategy. Jo and Brick and me and Sky are pairs, but Owen and Scarlett are wildcards. I trust the big guy enough, but Scarlett scares me, man. She's, like, a serial killer in a librarian costume: sweet looking, but totally bonkers underneath."

**End Confessional**

* * *

The final eleven took their places in front of the rapids and waited for Chris to give them a go. Eva inched closer to Dave and Noah, making the latter slightly concerned for his well being.

"And GO!"

The teams took off into the water and climbed onto the nearest rocks.

Scott, trying to show off, did a spin in midair when jumping to the next one and slipped on the wet surface. The hick's legs fell out and split, sending his crotch straight into the rock.

"Ha!" Jo snorted as she made her own jump. "Nice moves, dirtboy!"

Scott let out a pig-like squeal and fell into the churning water as Courtney jumped onto the same rock. "Don't fall behind!" she shouted to the rest of her team.

Back on land, Noah and Dave were just entering the water when Eva snatched them off the ground and threw the boys over her shoulders.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing?" said a squirming Noah.

"Ewwww," Dave whined. "Your arms are all sweaty! I need saniti-"

"Shut up and hang on if you want to live!" Eva roared, jumping straight onto the nearest rock. "I'm winning this game... if it kills me. And if I have to win every challenge, then so be it!"

Jo jumped and slipped on a boulder, but she felt a hand pull her back to solid rock.

"Watch your step!" Brick said with caution. "We can't afford to go back to the-"

A fish leaped out of the river and hit Brick square in the head. The cadet let out a "Doh!" noise and fell into the churning water. Jo merely slapped her forehead.

Scott landed on one rock and it sunk in with his steps. He felt the rock shaking and was lifted into the air by an angry hippopotamus. "No, no, no! Ahhhhhh!" The animal tossed the farmboy into the air and closed its maw around him.

Dave freaked out and looked away. "Ewwwwwwww!"

Noah shrugged.

Courtney grabbed a nearby log and raised it high above the beast. "No! Give him back! I mean it, you blubbery piece of-"

She hit the hippo over the head and the animal spit Scott in the sky. The dirtboy spiraled down onto the rock, letting out his typical scream. Courtney lifted him to his feet and wiped the saliva from his eyes.

"I hate this place!" Scott groaned, feeling a pain in his rear. He reached behind and yanked a tooth out of his cheeks. The flashbacks came and Scott tossed the tooth into the water with a resounding "Nope! Not again!"

Eva crossed the final rocks with the Indian boys over her shoulders. Once she hit dry land, she plopped them down on the ground and collapsed. She felt her eyes going fuzzy and her tongue drying up.

Dave saw Eva falling apart and put a hand on her shoulder. "You need water?"

Eva pushed Dave away with her paw. "No! I can get it myself. I don't need your help!"

Sky and Geoff crossed rocks side by side, dodging splashes, flying fish, and whatever the river had to offer.

The surfer took one wrong step and slipped into the water, but Sky pulled him back to the hard ground. "That was close," he sighed. "Thanks, Sky!"

Sky took a deep breath. "No problem." She started to feel sad and let out a sorrowful sigh.

"Something wrong?" asked Geoff. "You look kinda blue."

The gymnast jumped to the next rock. "Well, I could be better, that's for sure."

"Is it Dave?" Geoff asked with a deadpan tone.

"No!" Sky blasted. "It's not always Dave."

"Then what-"

"Never mind!" Sky leaped again and Geoff rubbed his head.

* * *

**Confessional**

Geoff is still running his head. "Man, I don't know what's up with Sky. She's just so spazzy and stuff. Like, one minute she's calm and then she's acting all crazy and depressed. It's totally Dave, but I feel like she's not telling me something."

(Static)

"I know I've said this a lot, but this game blows," Sky says. "I thought my drive to beat Dave would get my through all this stress, but it's just not working anymore. I've tried apologizing, I've tried kicking his butt, and I've tried ignoring him. What else is there?!" She gasps. "Wait, I just need to get him voted out and then I'll be okay again, right? Right?! Please let that be the answer!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Owen leaped like a ballerina across the river, stupifying Scarlett, who was trying to work out the physics of his jumps in her head. It was a physical improbability, but it was as if he was... god-moding!

Scarlett made some jumps of her own and landed on the back of something scaly. The crocodile surfaces and chomped at her feet, but Scarlett shoved her heel into its eye and neutralized the threat. The croc thrashed around and rubbed its sore eye, allowing Scarlett to jump to the next rock. She looked back and spit in its face. "Insolent beast."

Jo, Geoff, and Sky crossed the final stretch and joined Eva, Noah, and Dave in waiting for their teammates.

Brick, Owen, and Scarlett were close, but Scott and Courtney were closer. The exes jumped to the shore together just seconds before the Horsepowers.

Chris, who was suddenly on this side of the river for some reason, raised a hand. "Team Vengeance wins part one! Probably the only part they'll win, but a win is a win!"

Courtney smiled and hugged Scott, but soon pushed him away when she realized he was 1) Scott, and 2) covered in hippo saliva.

Eva nodded without saying a word, but still looked pissed and determined to win.

Noah shrugged.

Jo stomped her foot. "No way! We should've had that! How did we lose to two Indian twerps, dirtboy, C. , and that _gorilla_?!"

Eva raised her brow and her eyes shot out from their sockets. "What did you just say?!"

Courtney and Scott took a good step back with Dave and Noah bracing for impact.

Chris snickered. "Jo, you didn't just say that? Wow, that's just... wow."

Jo saw Eva tensing up with rage and rolled her eyes. "Take a joke, why dontcha."

Eva walked up to the jockette and poked her in the chest. "Don't call me that ever AGAIN!"

Jo scoffed again. "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the _nest_."

Eva lost control and her fist went flying, but Chris suddenly appeared between them. "Hold on, gals. This is a no violence zone, so if you want to kick each others asses, do it _after _the challenge, 'kay?"

Eva snapped her fist back to her side and walked off, kicking the rocks as she went. "Fine!"

Noah sighed. "Yep, she's hosed." The bookworm felt bad for her though. He betrayed her and had to watch his creation spiral out of control like some Frankensteinish monster. But amidst his empathy was a sort of happiness. He was safe, Eva was screwed. He was closer to winning and she was out the door if his team lost. He felt so... meh, but it was what he had to do, and he was fine with it.

Brick took Jo by the shoulder. "Don't push her. She's not worth the broken bones. Or the broken nose. Or the black eye. Or the-"

"Okay, I get it. She's dangerous. Exactly why she's got to go." Jo put on a grin and Brick gulped.

* * *

**Confessional**

Brick taps the window and rolls his eyes. "Sticking with Jo isn't getting any easier. All her strategy talk is nice and all, but I don't want to be guilty by association, right? If the others want Jo gone and she's immune, then where does that put me? Gone. Booted. _Discharged! _That's why I need to keep on my toes. I hate to get rid of her because I enjoy her company, but if shove comes to push, then so be it."

(Static)

Jo smirks. "I'm just playing the game I need to play right now. If _Captain_ _Carebear _wants me to be all hugs and handshakes, then I'll be all hugs and handshakes. But if I need to make my life easier come the merge and make Eva go nuts before they kick her butt out the plane tonight, then I'm A-okay with it. Brick's a nice, loyal shield though. Sky and Geoff are good in challenges and Scarlett's kind of allied with me, but Owen's out next. I just need to convince him to vote outside of party boy and little miss cheater so it won't go to another tie, just like I did with Geoff in Arizona. Not too easy, but how hard could it be?"

(Static)

Owen zipped up his pants and flushed the toilet. "Whew, that was a tough one. I need to cut back on the fiber, hehe."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Chris led the eleven teens to a dirt field surrounded by shrubs. In the center of the opening were two wooden frames resembling huts. Surrounding each frame were stacks of mud bricks, poles, dead leaves, and other raw materials.

"Part two!" Chris explained in his super hosty voice. "Build a sweet Gabonese hut with whatever you've been given or what you find in the wild. Also, be creative. I don't want any bland huts today, because let's face it, these challenges are pretty lame."

"Lamer than the zoo one?" snorted Courtney.

"Yeah," Chris replied. "Lamer than the zoo one. But hey, you should be grateful we didn't stop in the Congo like I planned. I had this awesome rapids course set up with explosions and junk. Would've been awesome, but the contacts didn't cover malaria, tribal attacks, or death by rapids, so here we are in Gabon."

* * *

**Confessional**

Scott snorts like he owns the place. "If Chris thinks _that _was a hard challenge, he'd practically die of a stroke if he saw the rapids I ride back home. Two hundred foot waterfalls, bears, boulders. Easy peasy."

(Static)

Chris taps his chin and speaks in a sarcastic tone. "Wow, Scott. You're _soooo _brave. If only there was a way to let the audience... Oh, wait!"

The screen fades out and back into a poorly shot video of Scott crashing a kayak into a rock. He goes flying into the air and over a small waterfall, screaming the entire way. Another jump cut shows him on the ground sucking his thumb like an infant while rocking back and forth, his eyes pacing left and right.

**End Confessional**

* * *

Eva began to frantically stack bricks around the frame as Noah and Courtney huddled together.

"Okay, we need to build something stable," she advised. "Something that can hold together."

"We could dig around for some mud to use as glue," Scott suggested as he whittled away at something from wood. "Like they do with brick houses."

"Mud mortar?" Dave groaned. "You can do all the digging while I go find some palm fronds and leaves to use as roofing."

"Sounds like a plan," Noah said with no emotion whatsoever. "Courtney, Eva, and I will build the walls, Scott will play in the mud, and Dave will find some leaves. Way to contribute, team. Way to contribute."

"Cut the sass," Eva snarled, still stacking and packing. "Just stay out of my way. I'm on a (bleep)in' roll."

The other four Vengeancers looked nervous about letting Eva run the show, but they all started doing their jobs anyway. Eva was only one person after all.

Jo and Brick drew a diagram in the dirt with a stick. It looked like a house, with rounded walls, a chimney, windows, and a fancy doorway with an actual door and not some open gape.

"Alright, team. Listen up." Jo stomped, alerting everyone to her assignment. "Geoff and I will do the building on the outside, Owen and Brick will do the interior, Sky and Scarlett will weave fronds to make a roof. There are your missions, now get to them!"

"Aye-aye, cap-it-an!" Owen shouted, offering a salute. He joined Brick in constructing a chimney inside the hut.

"Fine by me," Sky said, starting off with a smirking Scarlett behind her.

Jo looked at a happy Geoff. "Mind working with again? I take it you're better at building stuff than you are at volleyball."

"Sure, man," Geoff said in a chill manner. "Sounds good."

* * *

**Confessional**

Geoff whips the hat over his head and lands it perfectly. "As much as I want Jo out, I need to play smarter than usual, so I just go with the flow, y'know, man. Stay under the radar, play it safe, stay all cool and junk, then I strike at the merge if I can last long enough. I hate to throw Sky under the bus, but it's either her or me and I'm here to win for my g.f. back home. Love ya', babe!"

**End Confessional**

* * *

Brick stacked a couple little bricks around the ring of dirt where the chimney was to go. He took a little mud and caked it over the top and Owen laid a few more on top.

"It's looking good," Owen said. "Like a work of art."

"I concur," said a stout Brick. "The number one rule of construction is to make it fashionable. Make it a visual treat and you can't go wrong. Right, soldier?"

"Oh, definitely, but it could use a little food to cook when we're done. Make it all polished and yummy."

"Great idea, Private."

Scarlett rolled her eyes from afar. "Ugh. They're bonding. Exactly what I was aiming _away_ from."

Sky gave the psycho an odd glare. "How so?"

The brainiac weaved a few more leaves into a nice patch of roofing. "I'm simply attempting to keep my loyalties intact to the merge."

"To Owen?"

"To my allies, who will remain nameless. I can't simply reveal classified information to you, now can I?"

Sky grumbled. "I guess not, but just so you know, I don't trust you for a minute."

"I know."

"Good."

Scarlett gave a solemn smirk. "Now, you do realize that you could always join by my side, correct?"

Sky rolled her eyes. "Never thought about it."

The mad genius grinned and dropped the leaves she was weaving. "I see the anger, the confusion in your face. You read like an open book. I can help you destroy Dave. That's what you want, right?"

Sky felt disgust boiling inside her gut. She hated what Dave was doing to her mind, but there were limits. Seeing Scarlett there only helped to clear her thoughts. "No. And you know what? I think I get it now."

Scarlett cocked her head ever so slightly. "You do?"

"Dave's a jerk, but I guess I am too. I've been wanting revenge and forgiveness for a whole off-season and came back to do both, but I can't do both. I have to pick a path and stick to it. No more flipping and flopping on it. I need to work things out and make them right, even if it means putting my head on the block."

Scarlett let out a dastardly chuckle from deep within. "Interesting. I suspect you'll revert back to your insanity within a number of hours. You can't lie to yourself forever."

"I know I can't... and I just stopped." Sky grabbed the finished leaves and walked back to the hut to apply them. "Wouldn't wanna be like you."

* * *

Eva finished the walls, but they were crooked and uneven. Noah poked the foundation and sighed. "Well, this isn't good. We needed more symmetry. One wrong move and the thing could implode."

Eva turned away. "Well, at least I tried."

"We did try," Courtney barked. "You just rushed it."

"Yeah," Scott argued. "Half of 'em aren't even mortared."

Dave put some leaves on top of the frame. "I know you wanted to win, Eva, but you could stand to be a little more calm. We can't just win every challenge because we do it faster. Chris wanted it to be a cool hut, but this is looking lame." He noticed the inside was devoid of any decor. "You can start making a couch from mud and leaves if you want to."

Eva walked off and sat down behind a tree to grab onto her head. It was pounding like a drum and it hurt like hell.

"Or... not," Dave sighed. "Hey, Noah, can you hand me some more palm fronds?"

Noah handed the weaves up to Dave and joined Scott and Courtney in patching up the walls.

"I can't believe I tried to defend her," Noah said. "She's still a friend, but she's losing her cool. Not to mention the sheer hypocrisy of all this crap. She can lie and flip but I can't? Wow."

"Yep, she's terrible," Courtney said with a hint of delight. "I can't wait to send her home. It will be delicious."

Noah hated Courtney and her idiocy, but she was his only hope at merging. Sticking together was the only thing he had in mind, but once he was back with Owen and Scarlett, he'd be home free to the final three.

* * *

The sun moved through the sky little by little. Sweat pooled in the dirt and got sucked down by the thirsty earth. One stray cloud evaporated in front of the sun. Everyone was dying of thirst, their lips drying out like prunes.

"Time's up!" Chris shouted. "Drop everything, because it's inspection time!"

Eva went back to her shade tree and watched from the shadow, needing to lean against the trunk to stay standing. Her vision was blurring again and her heart was pounding in her eyes.

Chris stalked the Vengeance hut like he was some African predator, taking note of every inch of shelter in order to accurately make his decision. The shelter was still uneven and the doorway was jagged, but it had a vaguely artsy feel to it. The symmetry was off, but it worked in its own way. The roof was patchy and leaked when Chris poured some coffee on it though. However, each brick was painted with a muddy dot, so it had some flair to it. The inside was okay, but the couch was uncomfortable. The mud was hard, but it felt like a bag of marbles and hurt to sit on unless you were into that stuff.

Chris didn't hold his breath. "7/10. You guys did good, but it was severely lacking in additional features and the build was pretty weak."

Eva closed her eyes and just breathed. Courtney and Scott shrugged as Dave and Noah looked at the other hut.

The Team Horsepower hut was evenly built with better symmetry, but the block sizes were a little uneven and the mortar was leaking down the walls. The roof was nice, but about the same as the other roof. Chris did take notice of the brick chimney and the door made of palm leaves, but he also noticed a few small problems with the couch and stools. They were nicely made and well sculpted with details, but they didn't really dry well, so Chris ended up with mud on his very expensive cargo pants.

Chris gathered the two teams. "Okay, it was close, you guys. There were clearly a lot of pros and cons to each hut, but I judged on creativity too, so we have a clear winner... Team Horsepower! You guys just did so much more on your project anyways, so you barely win part two!"

Jo and Brick highfived, Geoff looked happy, Scarlett smirked, Sky and Owen cheered, and Team Vengeance looked defeated. Eva, however, turned red.

"We should've won," she garbled. "We had five to their six and worked just as hard, or I did at least."

"_We_ worked hard," Scott said. "It was a team thing and we're all sweaty again, so don't even say we didn't try."

"I never said you didn't," Eva barked. "Stop putting words in my mouth!"

"Hey, shut up," Courtney said to the hulking young woman. "It's your fault we had to spend so much time on the wall. If you hadn't have rushed it, we'd be in first class by now."

Eva grabbed her head and groaned. "Uggggh. All of you, shut up!"

Chris and the Horsepowers just blinked.

"Okay..." Chris started walking off. "Since we're down to the third challenge, follow me."

* * *

**Confessional**

Scott pulls the knife out of his pocket and carves more wood. "Eva's scary, and not in a hot way like Courtney is. She thinks she runs the place, but she ain't worth a dollar to me. The only thing that matters is having numbers at the merge, and she's not one of 'em, so losing today might not be so bad if it comes to it. I have Courtney and then there's Dave, so that's three. Just a couple more and we run the place to the end. Yeah, I'm still in the game, or at least my head is anyway."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Chris led the players to a giant wooden pole sitting horizontally across two forks in two trees. There was about six feet of space under the pole and a couple of closed pots sitting nearby.

"Some of you will be getting deja vu from this one. Courtney, Owen, Geoff, you competed in this challenge and all lost in our boot camp spectacular from season one. Well, Owen was on the winning team, but his performance was so bad we called him a loser anyways. Now, each of you will be hanging on by your hands and legs, upside down of course, from this pole. Last person hanging wins immunity for their team."

The campers took their places and got comfy. Courtney had flashbacks to being eliminated unfairly that night and wasn't letting go. No way was that happening again. Geoff felt the headrush. Owen fell off five seconds in.

Chris blew a whistle. "That's one down for Team HP. Score: 5-5."

"Way to go, Lard Lord," Jo taunted. "Way. To. Go."

"Sorry, guys," Owen said with distress. "I'm not good at that stuff. But look at all your hot bodies! You'll be up there forever."

"Stop talking," Jo snapped.

Owen saluted. "Yes, ma'am."

* * *

Time passed with the sun and the heat grew more unbearable by the minute. Waves of it rose from the ground and baked everyone like rotisserie chickens.

Dave dropped after fifteen minutes and looked at his splintered hands with disgust. Scarlett dropped right after and growled her way to the shade.

Chris yawned. "Twenty minutes and even _Noah's _still hanging on. Wow. This was waaay too easy. Good thing I have a twist."

Noah opened his eyes and scowled. "Crap."

The host grabbed a couple pots and tipped them over. A bunch of wriggling clumps fell out right under the bar and dispersed into a field of potential pain.

"Driver ants!" Chris cheered. "All the pain of regular ants, just a hundred times worse."

"(Bleep) that." Noah dropped down and found shade before the ants could reach his part of the ground.

Scott snickered. "Ha! My cousins and I play game all the time back home. I'm the greatest ant hang master of all tiiiime!"

Jo coughed. "Oh, shut it."

Scott smiled and kept hanging on with all his might. Suddenly, a bee landed on his face. He moved a hand to slap it out of the way and slipped, but managed to catch himself with his arms and pull himself back up to the pole with his belly to it.

Chris blew the whistle. "Scott, you were told to hang upside down! You're out!"

Scott snorted with laughter. "No way, man! I'm in my element. Tell your lame rules to bite my- AHHHHHH!"

The ants had since crawled up the trees and were slowly migrating down the bars. Scott was the closest target and felt his arms and belly turn to fire. The pain dropped him and he ran off screaming with ants all over his pale body.

Chris let out a diabolical snicker. "Oh, yeah, this should be good."

Geoff ended up dropping from wooziness before the ants could reach him, but Brick wasn't so lucky. The bugs crawled down his legs, up his pants, into every crack and fold his body had.

"Ahhh, ahhh, get them off! Get them off!"

Jo snarled his way. "Hang in there, maggot!"

Brick dropped and rolled around in the dirt to crush the ants, but they were all in his clothes and bit at his... Yeah. The cadet ended up running back to the river and taking a dive.

With that, it was two girls left on each team. Eva and Courtney vs. Jo and Sky.

Eva was pooling sweat and falling into blurry land again, but Courtney was now under attack. She swatted the ants off for as long as possible, but slipped and fell into the nest of them where her face was eaten raw.

The CIT let out a hilarious whine and cleared off as many ants as possible, but got left with a puffy, blistering face.

Jo laughed so hard she fell as well, suffering the same fate. She didn't seem to feel much pain, but hated going out before Sky and Eva.

"Don't fall," she told the gymnast. "It's your head on the block if you cost us another win!"

"Eva!" Courtney barked through her pain. "Don't leb hir bit hu! Oww! Shuipt unds!"

Eva and Sky both stayed strong against the biting bugs. The pain grew from their legs to their arms, but neither was willing to give it up... and then she fell.

...

...

...

...

...

"Eva drops out of nowhere!" Chris shouted in shock. "Sky and Team Horsepower win again!"

Courtney threw a fit and raged against the nearest shrub while Geoff brushed ants off Sky. The other Horsepowers helped out and congratulated her on a good win.

Eva let out a couple croaks and gasps that caught Noah's attention. "Uh, guys. Is she okay?!"

Courtney kicked the shrub again. "Who cares?! She's going home and that's final!"

Noah ran to Eva's side as the others watched in shock. He felt her head and nearly fainted. "Oh God... She has heat stroke!"

Chris spit out his ice water. "Wait? Eva has what?!"

Brick rushed to Eva's aide as the rest gathered around. "I need cold water!" shouted the cadet. "Now!"

Courtney was in shock. Everything was a blur. She heard "Ice water!" and saw Eva passed out in the dirt. She felt the stings all over her body. She felt the heat beating down on her from the heavens. She saw Chris holding a large canteen of cold water and grabbed it from his stingy hands.

Chris tried grabbing it back. "Hey, that's mine!"

Courtney leaned down next to Eva and slowly poured it over her face. "I know this stuff. I'm-I'm a CIT. I know what to do!"

Noah backed off and couldn't believe his eyes. Courtney had pulled a total 180 in less than a minute.

After a few minutes of intense silence and pouring of water, Eva groaned back to consciousness. She saw Courtney hovering above her and closed her eyes. "I'm okay."

"You nearly died," Dave shuddered. "I thought you were-"

"I'm okay," Eva said, covering her face from the the traces of sunlight. "Just let me sit here for a minute."

Jo gulped. "Wow," she whispered.

Scott looked relieved and leaned back. "I thought you were a goddess. Invincible."

"You worked yourself to death, dude," Geoff sighed. "You scared us, man."

Eva took some deep breaths. "Well, you can stop talking about it."

Chris shrugged. "Well, back to the plane. Team Vengeance, you've got some voting to do."

Eva was helped to her feet by the rest of her team as they all walked back down to the river for takeoff.

* * *

**Confessional**

Eva gulps. "I worked too hard. I just wanted to-to stay here for one more day. And I (bleep)ed it up." She buries her face in her hands. "I need that idol. I have to find it before the ceremony. I need to. It's the only way.

(Static)

Courtney soothes the stings on her face with water. "Do I feel bad about sending Eva home? Yeah, she fought her and deserves to stay. I admit that. But this is a game, and she's a big threat if we merge. I kept her around for winning challenges, but it's her time... Sorry, Eva."

(Static)

Dave pulls out his extra vote token. "I hate voting Eva out since she's really helped me get strong. I mean, I could tie it up tonight and put it to a tiebreaker, but I need this thing for later." He stuffs the chip into his pocket. "I hate doing this, but I have an alliance with Courtney and I need to stick to it if it means getting to the final three and beating Sky. Sorry, Eva."

**End Confessional**

* * *

The five members of Team Vengeance took their seats and Chris pulled out four barf bags.

"Okay, not the best day we've had on this show, not the happiest, but the game is still on and you've all voted."

Eva looked completely dead inside. She wasn't angry though. Something was different.

Noah looked sad.

Scott and Courtney just sat there.

Dave was starting to cry.

"Bags go to... Noah, Dave, and Scott!"

All three caught the bags and looked at Eva and Courtney.

"Well, I can't say I'm shocked, and I know it's obvious, but the last bag goes to... Courtney."

Courtney smiled and caught the barfy package, but soon dropped the smile.

Eva smiled too. She stood up and walked over to Chris before turning around to look straight at Courtney. "I'm not done playing just yet." She handed Chris the wooden Chris head and just smirked.

Courtney gasped. "No. No!"

Noah's jaw dropped. "No way."

Scott freaked out and hid his face.

Dave looked confused.

Chris took the Chris head and looked it over. "Nice, Eva! The rules of Total Drama state that if an idol is played, the person with the next most votes is outta here!"

Courtney's eyes went wide and her heart stopped. "N-no..."

"This is..."

...

...

"Indeed an idol! Which means the one vote that wasn't for Eva was for little miss Goody-Goody over here. Courtney, the drop awaits, but not until we show you just how screwed over you were... again."

A screen popped up and Courtney glared at it in shock...

* * *

_"Come on, stupid head," Eva growled, turning over box after box. "It's gotta be somewhere around here. Got God knows how long and-"_

_"Campers!" boomed the PA. "All votes are in! Get your booties to the elimination area purrrr-onto!"_

_Eva tossed over more and more boxes as her heart beat faster and faster. It was down to the wire and she was out of time, so she busted open a large crate full of junk from Wawanakwa. Barrels, live squirrels, a carved skull, a Jason mask, some garbage bags, and..._

_"No. No way! Impossible!" Eva picked up the Chris head and looked it over, a smile growing on her face. "No way! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!" She did a quick little dance and hid the idol in her pocket before leaving the cargo hold. "I don't know if this is real or just some holdover handmedown trash, but I'm not going home without trying to play it."_

* * *

Courtney looked at Eva with pure fear. Her mouth shivered and her head shook. "No! Not again! This-this-this is, it's unfair! Bull! I had the clue! That's not-"

"Yeah, it's not _the _idol, but it's _an idol, _so it counts!" Chris threw Courtney a chute. "The drop of shame, if you will."

Scott fell over in shock. "No, wait! Courtney can't go yet! I never got a kiss again!"

"Suck it up," Noah said slyly.

"Yeah!" Eva added.

Dave just looked confused, if a bit happy. "Well, I guess you _did _have it coming, Courtney."

"No!" the CIT shouted. "I do not concede!"

Chris poked her swollen nose and pushed her out the door.

"I HATE YOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUuuuuuuuu!"

The door closed and Eva returned to her seat. "Thank (bleep)."

Noah shrugged. "Sorry for all that... y'know. I just want to apologize for-"

"No," Eva said. "I should apologize. I overreacted and almost died today. Sorry for freaking out on you like that."

Dave smiled and gave Eva a pat on the back. "Way to be strong."

Scott stood up and ran to the door. "No, wait! Boot me instead! Bring her back and boot meeee!"

Chris pulled the dirtboy away from the door. "Sorry, dude. A schedule's a schedule and there ain't no time for a double boot today. Looks like you're staying put."

Scott turned to the other three and snarled like a rabid dog. "She was my girlfriend, and when you mess with her, you mess with me. I might be out an ally, but I'm not done playing either."

Dave raised an eyebrow. "You were... dating?"

"More like stalking," Noah said in his deadpan tone. "But yeah, they dated once."

Scott ran off back to wherever and Eva sighed a happy breath. "Finally. Some peace."

* * *

**Confessional**

Noah rolls his eyes, but has a grin on his face. "I wasn't sure I could deal with all this mess, but I'm glad I have. I thought Courtney was going to run the game and I'd just sit back and get creamed like a bitch, but now the gang's back together again. Now we have four people and maybe Dave to take to the final five, so I'm happy with that. And the best part? No more annoying Courtney to ruin my life." He feels something in his pocket and pulls it out. "Oh, look, I still have her PDA."

(Static)

"I was lucky," Eva says. "Luckier than I've ever been. I'm not a religious girl, but that might've well been a gift from God for all I know. But either way, I'm still here and kicking butt to the end. Just goes to show what hard work gets you."

(Static)

Dave sighs. "That was rough, letting Courtney go, but even though she's gone, I still have options with Eva and Noah plus my little poker chip. It's weird, but... it feels like the entire game just turned on its head. I like it."

**End Confessional**

* * *

Chris fiddles around with his wobbling bobble-head replica as Chef pilots the plane. "Idols, shocking boots, hurt feelings, hurt bodies! What else could you ask for? Well, maybe a million dollars, but that's not even close yet. But, we do have more surprises next week, on Total Drama... World Tour... Round Trip!"

* * *

**The Votes**

Courtney: 1

Eva: 4 (Nullified)

**Eliminated: Max, Zoey, Dawn, Jasmine, Rodney, Lightning, Izzy, Courtney**

**Team Vengeance: Noah, Eva, Scott, Dave**

**Team Horsepower: Jo, Brick, Sky, Geoff, Scarlett, Owen**

* * *

**Drop of Shame: Courtney**

Courtney gently fell through the clouds with her arms crossed and a bitter frown on her face. "I can't believe it! Cheated out of the game, _again! _Just wait until Chris hears about this! My lawyers will analyze that contract so hard! Nowhere did it state that any idol could be played. That thing was some holdover antique and he knows it! Bull! Total bull! And don't get me started on Noah either. The fact that he outlasted me after _I _saved him from elimination is disgusting. The only person who deserves to win is Scott. At least he had the common sense to just play along and let the most deserving player win in the end: me. But if I had to choose, I guess Brick and Goeff would be okay winners. Maybe Jo too. She seems to have a head on her ugly shoulders worth rooting for."

She landed on a flat grassland and tossed the chute, looking across the horizon. "Great, now where am I?!"

The ground started to rumble and Courtney gasped. She ran across the screen as a herd of antelope stormed her way, blocking the view with dust.

"I hate Chriiiiiis!"

**End Drop of Shame: Courtney**

* * *

**Reasoning: **That probably came as a shock to most of you, and even I was a little shocked. You see, I've been looking at the boot order I originally had for the story and wanted to change it up to make things into a better story (or at least in my eyes). That included booting Courtney this early and tweaking a few placements. I know she has a lot of fans who wanted to see her develop, but her story isn't done yet. There's always the Playa for that. I thought long and hard building up to this boot and decided to screw her over in classic TD fashion. She was reasonably the pre-merge antagonist and needed to go when she did. Now we have Scott on his own and E-Scope still somewhat alive. I think it will work out.

* * *

**~A/N~ As explained above, I feel some controversy coming. I know the idol was a total contrived deus-ex-machina, but I felt like eliminating Courtney this way needed to happen. Her story in the game was that of a team captain who rose to power and got drunk on it until her game suddenly ended. I think I pulled it off, but you tell me. XD**

**About idols, the one remaining is indeed at the end of the clue trail. The idol played was an idol in play, but wasn't actually something Chris expected to come into play, if you know what I mean. It's not like Chris just randomly made something an idol or anything **_**that **_**contrived.**

**Now that we have a final 10, it's nearly merge time. I can't spoil when it's coming, but it's really close and should be a lot of fun.**

**Review Questions:**

**\- Shocked? How do you feel about Courtney's clusterfuck of a boot?**

**\- Now that the game has shifted and everything is changing (to an extent), who's winning?**

**\- What did you think about these latest challenges? I've been trying to spice them up and make them more fun and would love some feedback.**

**And with that out of the way, I look forward to seeing y'all again in the next episode. Foreseer... out!**


End file.
